Tales of Star Wars
by Lady Nephenee Ranulf
Summary: Star WarsTales of Symphonia xover. It all started with an innocent trip, but now it's something bigger...yet another quest for the world's sake. Takes place in ROTJ
1. Eternal Messup

I decided to try a crossover- first ever, may I add? This takes place approx. at the start of ROTJ

NOTE: I am going to refer to the reunited worlds of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla as Symphonia.

Me: Alright, today I'm going to have a special guest today to do the disclaimer so that way you are pre-introduced to him! Now presenting…THE ONE THE ONLY… CRUXIS ANGEL…KRATOS AURION!

enter Kratos

K: Oh great, first her crazy sister glomps me, and now I have THIS authoress to deal with…

Me: DO THE DISCLAIMER ALREADY!

K: sighs The crazy fan girl of mine that is currently writing this story does not own Star Wars or me, seeing as I belong to Namco and Star Wars belongs to George Lucas.

_Prologue_

Kratos Aurion was not your average human. For one, he wasn't even human. Oh, he had been human…4,000 years ago, but that was a whole different story. Kratos actually went under the title of "angelic being." He had "angel powers" and "angel wings", but he wasn't exactly an angel. Although, some fan girls might care to differ…

The thing was, Kratos was only an angel because of one thing: his Cruxis Crystal. Giving off the appearance of a rather attractive rock, Kratos's Cruxis Crystal was actually a parasitic sort of…thing that enhanced his natural abilities. It also gave him the wings and superpowers too, as well as the ultimate blessing, as well as the ultimate curse: eternal life. Yes, that's right- Kratos will live forever. He already has been doing so for 4,000 years, forever stuck on the age of 28. Of course, with 4,028 years of life experience, this meant that Kratos Aurion was supposed to be prepared for _everything_. Well, not quite…

_End prologue_

Enough with the introduction, and now on to the story…

Kratos stood on the deck of Derris Kharlan. Once the mighty fortress of the leader of Cruxis, Mithos Yggdrasil, the comet now just orbited around blankly in space, carrying the last member of the organization that had once ruled the world with it. He sighed. Living forever has its downsides, especially if it means traveling forever with a comet. Kratos wanted anything to happen, _anything_, as long as it was exciting. He had regretted his decision to leave his son, Lloyd, on the newly reunited world of Symphonia and remain with Derris Kharlan at first, but now found that it was necessary, as the comet would have been long overrun by pirates or worse scum if left to its own devices. Kratos walked over to the computer that ran Derris Kharlan's navigation system. They were currently…approaching Symphonia! Excellent! He could stop by and see Lloyd and his friends for a day or two…and then return to Derris Kharlan for another long exodus around space. Running hurriedly to the transporter, Kratos prepared the warp square, and then felt the telltale sensation that meant that he was on his way back to the world of Symphonia.

Lloyd Irving was bored. The 16-year-old was currently on a journey around the world, along with his girl-friend, Colette. The blond-haired girl turned to Lloyd, her blue eyes shining.

"So Lloyd, what do you want to do today?"

"Well, that depends. Where are we?"

"Somewhere near the ruins of the Tower of Salvation."

"Hmmm…maybe we can go check those out."

"Why?"

"Oh, research purposes."

"Lloyd, you of all people! You're starting to turn into the Professor!"

Lloyd laughed at the mental picture he had created. Raine Sage, or, the Professor, as most of her students called her, was notorious for her obsession with ruins and the like. This passion was bordering on the line between insanity and intense obsession, as it scared mostly anyone who saw the Professor interact with her beloved ruins.

The pair walked up the stairs to what had used to be the Tower of Salvation, a location that had been used by Cruxis in order to maintain their iron grip over Symphonia, which, until recently, had been separated into two separate worlds, Sylvarant and Tethe'alla.

"Gee, Lloyd, remember when we had to come here for the Journey of Regeneration?"

Lloyd shuddered at the memories of the quest in which he had accompanied Colette on a journey to supposedly rejuvenate the dying world of Sylvarant, but had really turned out as a fiendish scheme by the ruler of Cruxis, Yggdrasil, to find a perfect replacement body for his sister, Martel. They had stopped Yggdrasil, but the haunting memories still remained. He looked to the location in the center of the tower in which the Eternal Sword, the mythical weapon that could control time and space, had once been imbedded. It, like the rest of the tower, had been used by Yggdrasil to manipulate the world to his own twisted ends. So ironic, seeing as Yggdrasil had saved the world 4,000 years ago, only to become a fallen hero as he desperately searched for a way to resurrect his beloved sister, Martel, after she was brutally killed.

Just then, the seal in the center glowed. The two stopped, glancing at the seal apprehensively, Lloyd slightly in front of Colette, shielding her, with his twin blades of fire and ice out in front of him.

Just then, a form began to emerge from the seal. It soon revealed the crimson-haired, purple- armored, swordsman that was his father.

"Kra- I mean- Dad! You're back!"

Kratos turned an eye towards his son.

"Humph. Only for a while. Soon, Derris Kharlan will leave Symphonia's orbit and I will have to go with it."

Lloyd's face fell, something that his father did not miss.

"It's not that bad, Lloyd. I am able to be here for about a day or two before I must return."

"Still," sighed Lloyd, "it's just a day or two. I haven't seen you for ten months."

Kratos smiled sadly. "I understand it's not as long as both of us would like, but at least I can see you while I can."

"Well, then, Dad, how about taking us with you to Derris Kharlan? All we're doing is going around the world, and I need a break from going around Symphonia. I mean, Colette's okay with it, right?"

Colette nodded furiously in response. "I wouldn't mind going to Derris Kharlan, Kratos. I think it'd be interesting. As long as Lloyd wants to, I'll go to."

It wasn't that hard for Kratos to note the presence of a rather intense bond between the two. _Ah…the joys of young love_, he thought wryly.

"Are you sure? Derris Kharlan is not the most interesting of places."

"Look, Dad, I'm bored with Symphonia. I already explored it enough, and I don't need a replay of it."

Kratos sighed. "Fine. We will go back to Derris Kharlan. Although, I doubt the seal will work- I programmed it to go back on in two days."

"Hey, Dad, you're forgetting what we have here." And with that statement, Lloyd drew the Material Blades- the Flamberge and the Vorpal Blade. With a flash, the two melded together to form the Eternal Sword. "I can just use the Eternal Sword to get us to Derris Kharlan."

"Wow, Lloyd, you're really thinking today!" Colette exclaimed.

Kratos shrugged. "If that is the way that you wish to proceed, then by all means do so."

"Alright, here goes!"

Lloyd raised the Eternal Sword above his head.

"Eternal Sword, carry me and my companions to Derris Kharlan!"

The world swirled around them, and in a second, the three had completely disappeared.

**_On Tatooine…_**

Tatooine was a very interesting world. What it lacked in luscious forests and tranquil waters it made up for in oppressive heat and glaring sunshine. A double dose of sunshine, may I add, seeing as Tatooine had not one sun, but two. Double whammy. Oh joy.

And this desert planet was what Kratos Aurion woke up to. _Odd…I don't remember Derris Kharlan being so…warm. Or windy, for that matter. _Opening his eyes, Kratos sat up. And nearly screamed. He was surrounded by…brown. Everywhere. Sand, sand, and more sand was what he saw. Not exactly cold, dark Derris Kharlan. He stood up. The sandy wind swept up his crimson mass of hair, sending it sweeping off to the side and into his other eye.

Thinking hard, Kratos realized that…something had gone wrong with the Eternal Sword. It apparently had sent him here…but where it had sent his son and Colette was beyond him. Oh crap.

_Well, gotta start off somewhere. _Kratos began to walk. Hopefully, sooner or later he would hit civilization. Using his angel-enhanced abilities, he scanned the surroundings for miles, finally coming on a fortress, about…an hour or two away, give or take. Good. That was something to start off from. Sighing deeply, Kratos extended his shimmering blue wings. They flapped eagerly behind him.

_I hope no one sees these…_he thought right as he took off towards the fortress.

_**On Derris Kharlan…**_

Lloyd woke up with Colette next to him.

"Hey, we made it, Dad!" He sat up, glancing around for the swordsman.

"Err…Dad? Hello…where are you?"

Colette sat up next to him.

"Uh, Lloyd, I don't think Kratos is here."

"HUH?"

"I mean, he's not answering to you, right? And, doesn't Kratos usually answer you?"

"Yeah, most of the time..." Lloyd pondered a little while, which was big for him, considering how he usually used his instincts over his brain.

"Gee. Wonder what happened. The Eternal Sword doesn't have any problems. I mean, it hasn't warped or anything."

Colette looked just as confused as Lloyd. "I wonder where he is…"

"Well, all I know is that he's not here with us, and he's not on Symphonia."

_**On board the Executor…**_

"Lord Vader, we have just spotted a very unusual comet come onto our radar."

The feared Dark Lord turned to look directly at the young lieutenant who had just delivered the message, as well as was shaking so hard it looked like he had just drank 8 cups of coffee.

"Unusual, you say. How so?" The Sith's bass tones echoed from the depths of his mask.

The officer swallowed hard.

"We-we-well sir, there were life signs on the comet, sir. Th-th-th-that's unusual." The young man trembled a little more. He had never faced Vader before in his life, and had heard the horrible stories of the number of officers who had met their demise at the hands of the Sith. Apparently, he thought that the same would happen to him too.

"Very well, Lieutenant. Thank you for informing me." Vader turned, which the lieutenant took as his dismissal. He ran off, perhaps a little too quickly. Vader ignored the man, searching the comet with the Force. Two very Force-strong auras popped up.

_Unusual indeed…_he mused. This was an interesting turn of events. Two Force-strong in one location. He needed to investigate the matter further…With as swish of his trademark black cloak, Vader walked off from the bridge of the _Executor_.

_**Meanwhile…**_

"Lloyd, something funny is going on…" said Colette.

"Huh? What's that, Colette?"

"Well, there was this rocking noise a couple of minutes ago, like something was landing Derris Kharlan."

"Why would anyone do that? Derris Kharlan is a COMET. What would people want with THAT?"

"I don't know, Lloyd, but-" Colette was suddenly stopped as an explosion rocked the entire fortress.

"What the hell?" Lloyd dashed off towards the entrance to Derris Kharlan, which Kratos had locked before transporting down to Symphonia, to ensure that no one would enter into the fortress. The probability of this had always been very unlikely, as to most, Derris Kharlan did not appear as anything special. However, there was now _definitely _something pounding on the doors.

The doors were rapidly cracking, as something rammed into it.

"OPEN UP! THIS IS THE EMPIRE!"

"What the…" whispered Lloyd. Who the hell was the Empire?

Colette ran up to Lloyd, and hugged him tight.

"What's going on, Lloyd?"

"I have no idea." Just then, another tremor went through the entire comet.

"AHHHHH!" The two fell to the ground as the doors were smashed open, and men- were they really human? They didn't look it- dressed in what appeared to be white armor ran into the fortress.

"Damn!" Grabbing Colette, Lloyd dashed for the staircase, just as the men started shooting at them.

"Colette! Open your wings! Get us out!"

Colette nodded and, with a flash of light, revealed her pink and purple wings.

"Grab hold, Lloyd!" Lloyd grabbed her hand. "Hurry!"

Just then, a cold, deep voice swept over them.

"There is no reason to run. You might as well surrender now, Jedi." Colette and Lloyd looked down. What stared up at them was the creepiest thing that both of them had ever seen. A masked figure in pure black holding a beam of pure red light in one gloved hand.

"Oh crap…" muttered Lloyd.

Darth Vader had landed on Derris Kharlan.

_To Be Continued…_

A/N: This story is just sort of a little brain splurge. I hope you aren't purely confused. It'll get better, I promise. Oh, and one more thing- I will NOT have any ToS characters become Jedi or something like that. I feel that that would be too…stereotypical. I also apologize for the minimal Star Wars action- I needed to introduce all the Tales characters, so this chapter was a little slow. Please review. Flames are accepted, but be warned that a total bashing will put me in a depression for a week. I am just trying this out and seeing how it does.


	2. Duel! Lloyd vs Vader!

I'm impressed that this story has actually done quite well…wow for me.

This chapter will center more on Lloyd and Colette- more Kratos to come later.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Tales of Symphonia_ or _Star Wars_.

"_There is no reason to run. You might as well surrender now, Jedi."_

"_Oh crap..."_

Lloyd was staring at the huge cyborg. The next thing to come out of his mouth was:

"What the hell is a Jedi?" The black figure gave a sort of mechanical laugh, which barely sounded like a laugh at all.

"Do not play games with me, Jedi. You know exactly what I am talking about."

"Actually we don't," piped Colette, "so could you tell us what it is?"

"Colette! Be quiet…we don't want them trying anything funny," hissed Lloyd. He stood up abruptly. If they were going to try and capture him or something, he wasn't going to go down without a fight.

"Alright, mister. I don't know who the hell you are, but why don't you get off of this comet? We don't know anything about this Jedi crap, so LEAVE WHY DONTCHA!"

Another mechanical laugh met his ears.

"I like you, boy. You have spirit. You would do well as my apprentice…Now, what is your name?" Lloyd answered in typical- Lloyd fashion.

"Give me your name and I'll give you mine."

"You know, Lloyd, I thought you were going to give up saying that," whispered Colette.

"Eh, I broke that promise today- I found out though that I can't really live without saying it, anyways."

The black machine-thing looked straight at Lloyd.

"I am Darth Vader. Now I have fulfilled my side of your request- you must fulfill yours."

Lloyd drew himself up. Bravado at the time was better than nothing…

"I'm Lloyd, Lloyd Irving."

"And the girl next to you?"

"I'm Colette Brunel. Nice to meet you!" Typical Colette answer…

"Now, my offer still stands, Lloyd- will you and your friend become my apprentices? You would gain power beyond your imagination."

"But, Mister Darth Vader," said Colette, "we're not looking for power, we're just trying to figure out how to find Lloyd's dad."

"That can be done with the Dark Side." Vader was now almost quivering with excitement. If these two would join him, then the Alliance would be crushed completely!

"Look, man, I can do that with the Eternal Sword. No biggie. And also, why the hell would we join you? You've tried to kill us, broke down the doors to this place, and brought in armed troops. Now tell me that this isn't a forced thing." For some reason, Lloyd felt extremely smart.

"Is that your answer? Then, I must eradicate you. There is no need to have two potential Jedi around." The black thing began moving forwards towards Lloyd and Colette. Lloyd pulled out the Material Blades, and Colette pulled out her chakrams.

The cyborg turned to the men in white. "Leave the boy to me. Take the girl- alive. I need her."

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Lloyd charged, the Material Blades whipping around as he took down storm trooper after storm trooper. He yelled back to Colette over his shoulder:

"USE SOMETHING! ANYTHING!" Colette's eyes widened. She nodded, and then closed her eyes.

"O Holy One, cast thy purifying light upon these corrupt souls. JUDGMENT!" The room went black as beams of light, the product of Colette's angel magic, pierced down from the ceiling. Vader's eyes beneath his mask widened when he noticed Colette's pink wings. Angels! They really existed! He then turned to the task at hand. With the storm troopers taking on the girl, he could focus on the boy. "Now you will see the power of the Dark Side." Saber in hand, he charged Lloyd. CLASH! The red saber met with the duel blades of fire and ice.

"Ergh…HUNTING BEAST!" Lloyd smashed into Vader, driving deep and then flipping and smashing the ground, creating a shock wave that shook all of Derris Kharlan.

"Impressive…but still not enough to defeat me." Lloyd frowned.

"Then take this! SONIC SWORD RAIN!" Thrusting forwards, he launched into a barrage of devastating attacks at the torso area. Vader neatly parried each and every one.

Lloyd's eyes widened. "No way!"

"Come now, surely you can do better than that?" The taunt rang in his ears.

Lloyd was totally blown away. There was no way that any living being on the entire planet could survive BOTH of those attacks.

"Now, let me show you REAL power." Vader went on the offensive, noting with pleasure the surprise on the young man's face as he was beaten back. All of a sudden, though, he felt as sudden jab of pain as two twin circles cut through him.

"ANGEL FEATHERS!" Sith…he had forgotten about the girl, who was now running over to her companion. She had evidently defeated all of the storm troopers.

"Lloyd, are you okay?" The young man gritted his teeth.

"Yeah…but I don't get it- why don't my attacks affect him? And why do yours?"

"Hmm…maybe it's because I'm an angel!"

Realization dawned on Rock-head.

"OH!" Lloyd's eyes widened. "Colette! You're a genius! Why didn't I realize it before! That guy must be like pure darkness! Like Shadow!"

"That's great, Lloyd! You're really thinking now!" Colette looked rather excited.

"Thanks, Colette. I know what I have to do now." He turned back to the Sith.

"Alright, Darth Vader. Bring it on!" Lloyd spread his huge wings. Under the mask, Vader's eyes widened. Angels! That was what they were! No wonder the girl's attacks had affected him so much… Just then, a memory that had long buried itself resurfaced.

"…_are you an angel? I've heard deep space pilots talk about them. Angels are the most beautiful creatures in the universe…"_

"_You're a funny little boy…"_

So it was true…angels really did exist!

Lloyd's voice brought him out of his reverie. "Alright, man! Are you going to just stand there?"

Vader glared, although his mask didn't show it. "You may think that you have the upper hand now, but you have yet to see real power." He suddenly reached out into the Force, using its power to Force Choke Colette. The girl stiffened as she tried to resist his crushing grip.

"Ack…help...me…Lloyd…" Lloyd snapped, as red clouded his vision like a fog.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Using his wings, he sped towards the Dark Lord.

"FALCON'S CREST!" The ougi hit Vader like a bullet. He grunted as he released his grip on Colette's lungs.

"Excellent, young man. You have just witnessed your first bit of Dark Side power. I can see it in your attacks. Use your anger! Let it flow through you!"

"No, Lloyd! Don't let him get to you!" Colette cried.

Lloyd took a deep breath. "You're right, Colette. I can't let him get to me. Now, let's finish this guy off once and for all! Together!"

"Alright, Lloyd!" Colette smiled as the two charged at Vader.

"Sith…" Vader knew he was outnumbered. The two angels were too much for one Sith. Plus, both of them seemed to have an intense will to live. They would not lose or turn easily. "You have won…for today. I will retreat…but not without this!" He Force-hit the controls to Derris Kharlan. The self-destruct controls, to be exact. Vader disappeared. He had had the last laugh.

"DAMN!" Lloyd ran over to the controls. "We can't stop this…Colette! Can you find any sort of escape ship or something?"

"Um…" Colette ran hurriedly around, trying to find some sort of escape route. "I can't find any- Whoops!" She, in usual Colette-style, crashed neatly into the escape pod. "I think I found it, Lloyd."

"Great! Now get in!" Colette did so, and Lloyd soon followed.

"Now, let's see…how to start this…" Debris was falling as the comet began caving in on itself.

"Well, Lloyd, I…Oops!" Again, Colette tripped, hitting the correct switch. "Oh! I must have some good luck whenever I trip."

"That's for sure," muttered Lloyd, who was remembering all the times Colette had saved them by tripping. The pod blasted out into space as Derris Kharlan exploded in a riot of flames and hurtling debris.

"Dad's not going to be happy when he finds out about this…"

"I think you're right, Lloyd."

_Meanwhile…_

Kratos had reached the fortress. With towering gates the same color as the surroundings, it had been very well camouflaged. However, his angel senses had easily remained on target. Touching down gently onto the dusty ground, he noticed a young blond man already walking towards the gates. With a swift flash, Kratos's wings disappeared. No use in having someone discover THAT particular fact about him. He walked up to the man.

"Excuse me," The man jumped slightly at being addressed. Kratos found himself facing a green beam of light. "Or not."

"Who are you? Are you one of Jabba's flunkies?" The man seemed suspicious.

"I am not one of 'Jabba's flunkies', contradictory to what you may think. I also have no idea who this 'Jabba' is. I have just arrived on this…dust ball, and have no idea where the nearest civilization is. All I found was this fort. And as for who I am, give your name and I will give you mine." Kratos found himself echoing his son. How ironic…

The man gave a short laugh. "This isn't exactly civilization. This is the home of Jabba the Hutt, the worst crime lord on this 'dust ball', Tatooine. If you're looking for somewhere decent, I doubt there's a place on the planet that is."

"And your name is…"

"Luke Skywalker."

"Ah. And I am Kratos Aurion. Now, if you don't think I should be here, then what would YOU be doing here."

Luke stiffened. "I'm trying to rescue some of my friends. Jabba's captured them. I don't need help, if that's what you're offering."

"I offered nothing of the sort." Luke couldn't help but notice the very interesting similarities between this man, Kratos, and his father. The deep voice, the calm composure…he also couldn't help but notice that the man's Force signature was pretty high. Was he a Jedi? And even if he wasn't, this guy looked like he could handle practically anyone in duel. The sword at his hip only added to this effect, as well as the odd clothing. (If anyone cares, Kratos is at this time wearing his purple armor- did I say this already?)

He sighed. "Well, if you're just going to stand out here, I wouldn't suggest it. The nights here on Tatooine are really cold."

"So, what do you suggest?"

"Well…look, why don't you come with me? I'll need some help anyway."

"I thought you didn't want any help."

"I thought better of that statement."

"Very well."

And with that, the swordsman and the Jedi disappeared into the depths of the home of the dreaded Jabba the Hutt.

Inside, Kratos watched as Luke waved his hand carelessly, bringing out a very interesting reaction in the guards. _How very peculiar…_he noted. He then watched as some sort of bizarre…creature walked up to them, and then began jabbering to Luke in a strange language. Luke merely waved his hand, said something, and then watched with a satisfied smirk as the…alien repeated the statement, and then complied with his wishes.

As the odd creature lead them deeper into the heart of the fortress, Luke suddenly drew up short and turned to Kratos.

"Hey, uh, Kratos. I need you to go undercover. Act as one of the guards for me. I have a man in here, name's Lando. Find him. I might need backup."

"And what about you?"

"I need to go in alone. If Jabba attempts to do anything funny, I won't have to worry about protecting anyone or having anyone get caught up in my business."

Kratos raised an eyebrow. "I don't think that will be particularly necessary, but if you want it so, I will comply."

"Here- go back to those guards I sent off earlier. Just knock one of them out and then grab their armor. Should be no trouble."

"And I will know your man…how?"

"He'll be wearing… a sort of tusk-like helmet or something like that. If you look closely, you'll note that he's human and has really dark skin."

"Dark skin, helmet, and human- I have it."

"Okay. Good luck to you, Kratos."

"Hmph." was the response. Luke smiled as he ran after the alien majordomo. Kratos waited until he had disappeared into the adjacent corridor, and then doubled back. That armor that guard had been wearing looked pretty ugly…in fact, the entire guard had been ugly. He sighed. This was not going to be pretty- he could just feel it.

_To Be Continued…_

A/N: Alright! Chapter 2 is done! I was going to have Kratos in his Judgment costume, but then found that I had stated in the previous chapter that he had his purple one on. Darn…anyway, review, PLEASE! Look for the appearance of Lando Calrissian in the next chapter, as Lloyd and Colette meet up with the Alliance, and Kratos helps Luke rescue Han and Leia!

Also, for those of you who are confused, an ougi is a like an ultimate move, like Divine Judgment, or like Kenshin's Amakakeru No Hirameki. (Did I spell that right?)


	3. Rancors and Rebels

I am immensely enjoying writing this story, so I've decided to put out Ch. 3 of Tales of Star Wars before my other ongoing Golden Sun fic. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I own nil, except for the storyline. **

Kratos jogged back through the winding corridors of Jabba's palace. He finally reencountered the two ugly pig-like guards he had met earlier. He didn't really want to put on what the two were wearing, but it was beyond question- he had told Luke that he would do so. Kratos approached the two, who began squealing, and then pulled out some very odd looking knives- crude, but probably good enough for their kind. He pulled out his sword. (A/N: In this fic, Kratos has Excalibur, which is the weapon that you get if you beat the Coliseum using him)

"I really don't want to have to do this, but I am afraid that I have already promised someone that I would do so." Apparently, the two pig-like guards got the hidden message in his words. They charged. Kratos sighed. What idiots, to take on the last Cruxis angel on their own. He side-stepped, and then cast Grave. The magic sliced through them, ending their pathetic lives as quick as a blaster bolt to the heart would have. Kratos grimaced, and then stripped of one of the guard's armor. He put it on, making sure to breathe through his mouth. Looking at his reflection in his blade, Kratos noted with satisfaction that he was practically unrecognizable. The spikes of red hair sticking out of odd spots in the helmet where it refused to be penned in only heightened the effect. Quickly stowing his sword back in its sheath, he walked off. Now to find this Lando person...

_/SWITCH/_

Lando Calrissian had had plenty of dealings with crime lords, smuggling, and the like. He had even once been a smuggler himself, later leaving the lucrative business to rule over his beloved Cloud City. But, he had never attempted a rescue mission right under the feared Jabba the Hutt's nose. The consequences of being found out were enough to make even the dark-skinned human shudder. Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him. Assuming it was just another one of Jabba's subordinates joining the party, he ignored it- until an armored hand was planted firmly on his shoulder. Whirling around, he was faced by a helmeted being that had the most bizarre hair- red with spikes. He paled. Had he been found out? A blunt bass voice cut through his thoughts.

"Would you happen to be a man by the name of Lando?" Oh, Sith. He had been found out. Unconsciously, he nodded.

"Good. Luke told me to find you." Lando eyed the man suspiciously. Who was this guy, who knew Luke? And why was he wearing a guard uniform?

"And you would be…"

"Kratos Aurion. I was sent by Luke to assist you with his 'rescue mission'."

"Oh. So, uh, what're you going to do?"

"That depends. I have not received any other information regarding the rescue. All Luke told me was to stay out of his way."

"That is so like him."

"I figured." Man, this guy's voice was creeping him out. The confident coolness of it was enough to send shivers down his spine. There was only one other individual's voice that could do so, and that would be one Darth Vader.

"Well, just stay low for now. If Luke needs us, he'll call." Just then, a near riot had broken out by Jabba's "throne"- a commotion that had apparently been caused by the appearance of Luke.

Lando was about to turn and make some snide remark to this Kratos person about something that went along the lines of, "some rescue attempt," but found that the man was no longer beside him. He scanned around frantically- and found Kratos pushing towards the center of the room where Luke was standing.

"What the Sith is he doing!"

_/Switch/_

Kratos had noticed Luke's sudden appearance. He could not believe the young man's foolishness. It was along the lines of something Lloyd would do…He suddenly noticed a figure in battered head-to-toe armor lifting a weird weapon and aiming it at Luke's back.

_Damn…_Kratos began pushing towards where Luke was standing. If he could just get there in time, he could-

**BZZZZTTTT! **

The blaster of a nearby pig-like guard- how many ugly things like this were there? - went off. Luke turned, that same saber of light in his hand. The guards were surrounding Luke- he was fighting one-he was on the ground-stupid pigs...Kratos shoved every being in his path out of his way. He ran towards Luke-

And fell neatly into the gaping hole that now encompassed half the floor. Double damn…

The bottom of the cavern below was littered with bones and random debris. There was also an unmistakable stench of rotten meat. Luke faced the disguised angel, ready to tussle with this new opponent. Ripping off his helmet, Kratos hurriedly alerted Luke to who he was facing.

"Luke- it's me- Kratos. Calm down." Luke looked in astonishment.

"KRATOS! But- I though I told you to stay with Lando."

"You were on trouble. I may sound like a glory hog, but you were in serious need of help, and I was trying to deliver."

"I thought I also told you I could handle everything by myself."

"Overconfidence breeds carelessness," Kratos stated. (A/N: Couldn't help myself there)

Luke sighed. "You reminded me of my friend Obi-Wan right there."

"Hmph." A loud burst of evil laughter disrupted the conversation. The two looked up to the grate that now covered the entrance.

"Looks like Jabba's set to watch the show," noted Luke.

"I wouldn't be worried about that," observed Kratos, as another door was opened, and out stepped a VERY ugly beast that, Kratos noted, beat out the pig guards for the title of most unattractive.

"A rancor," Luke breathed. Kratos smiled thinly.

"Is its name really relevant right now?"

"I suppose not." The rancor let out a bellow, sniffing the air as its puny little eyes focused on its next meal.

"Sith…where's my lightsaber when I need it?" Kratos heard Luke mutter. 

"Don't worry…we still have this." Kratos drew Excalibur, which drew cries of outrage from Jabba and the spectators. Why did the human still have his weapon on him?

"Great." The two dived under a nearby nook as the rancor took a cursory swipe with its huge claw-like hands. The rancor let out another bellow, and then reached out under the rocky outcrop. It grabbed Luke with its claw, who had only the time to grab a huge bone, presumably from one of its previous meals, and then began lifting him up to its maw.

Luke hastily stuffed the bone into the creature's mouth, keeping its mouth open, and then dropped to the ground as the rancor released its hold, being occupied with the object that had currently been unceremoniously stuffed into its mouth. It crunched down on the bone, shattering it to a thousand pieces. Kratos came out from under, ready to face down his foe. Dodging another swipe, Kratos swung hard horizontally with Excalibur. It clattered off of the beast's scaled skin with a clang.

"Resistant to that, hm?" Kratos noted that Luke had now managed to run into a small pen connected to the "arena," probably where the rancor was kept when not being used for Jabba's amusement. The young man was currently trying to open the door on the other side to open an escape route, but was having trouble, as the creature's keepers on the other side were preventing from doing so.

Kratos circled warily. He dodged left, and then right, as the rancor's claws swept by with a whoosh of air. Finally, he cast.

"Thunder Blade!" The magic connected solidly with the rancor's head, and then gave it a nasty aftershock, as the magic field around the blade exploded. _Yuan definitely would've enjoyed doing that_, Kratos thought, as the monster crashed to the ground, dead. He felt a small note of satisfaction, which was then interrupted by Jabba's guards coming in and capturing both of them. Kratos felt his arms being yanked roughly behind his back and bound. He and Luke were then marched over to stand before Jabba. Another guard walked forwards, yanking along a further prisoner, who had his eyes closed, as well as a furry sort of beast.

"Han!" Luke exclaimed. _Oh…so this is the man that Luke was so intent on rescuing…_thought Kratos. He then focused on Jabba. Although he had been around for quite a while, Kratos had never seen anything like the crime lord. To sum up a description, the smuggling king resembled a very obese worm. He was observing Jabba so closely that he nearly didn't hear what the weird odd machine next to the worm said.

"…here you will learn a new dimension of pain as you are slowly digested in his stomach for a thousand years."

"On second thought, I'll pass," quipped the man who apparently was "Han."

"What is going to happen, again?" Kratos asked Luke.

The man grimaced. "Apparently we're being thrown to a sarlacc- which is a giant monster for your information."

"So…basically fed to something, then?"

"Yeah…and then being digested for a thousand years."

"Ah."

What a mess. As they were being led off to a cell, Kratos gave a slight laugh, bringing stares from both Luke and Han, as well as even from the furry beast-man. He had just imagined what Lloyd would have said if he was in this situation.

"_That should be nothing for you, Dad- you've lived for so long that you should be able to get through this, no sweat! I mean- it's only a thousand years."_

Ah, yes. Living for 4,028 years did give you a sort of "been there, done that" feeling.

_/Switch/_

Lloyd has lost track of the time they had spent in the cramped escape pod. He was bored- REALLY bored. Colette had tried to cheer him up by telling some very interesting (in her opinion) stories, but that had failed. He was starting to wish that he had never told his dad that he wanted to go to Derris Kharlan. Even traveling around Symphonia gathering all the exspheres and Cruxis crystals would be better than this. He yawned. Just then Colette came running into the cockpit.

"LLOYD! LLOYD! You have to come see this!"

"Alright, I'm up, I'm up…" Looking up at the small viewing window that served as the only source of sightseeing, he jumped up in surprise. Right outside, directly ahead, was a giant space station. There were a bunch of smaller ships zooming around it, all of which had a sort of x formation for wings. All of a sudden, a huge amount of static erupted over the communication link.

"Lloyd, I think that thing outside is trying to send us a message."

"Well, let's hear it." Lloyd switched on the comm screen and pressed the "Connect" button. A man appeared on the screen.

"Unknown shuttle, please state your destination and reason of business."

Lloyd looked at Colette. Where were they going, anyways?

"Uh…we're sort of lost," said Colette in a cheery sort of matter, "Our space ship blew up, and we had to escape. I guess we're going nowhere, then."

"I see. Are you aligned with the Empire?"

"Hey, isn't the Empire that thing that tried to kill us?" Colette whispered to Lloyd.

"Oh yeah…" Lloyd answered the man's question.

"No way, man! The Empire blew up our ship and nearly tried to kill us! There was this funny robot man in black that called us 'Jedi', and then he used that as an excuse to try and turn us to this thing called the Dark Side. We're not Jedi, and I have no idea what the Dark Side is." The man looked rather suspicious.

"Well, then where are you going?"

"Look, man, how many times am I going to have to say this? I. HAVE. NO. IDEA."

"What world are you from?" This question caught Lloyd off guard. Why would someone need to know that?

"Err…does it matter?"

"Yes. That way, I can check and see if your world is under the Empire's occupation."

Lloyd thought hard, but still failed to get the point. Maybe it was something that came along with this whole space travel business…

"Uh…we're from Symphonia. Only, Symphonia used to be two worlds, Sylvarant and Tethe'alla."

"Are you trying to play games with me?"

"HUH?"

The man on the screen now had a sort of angry expression on his face.

"There's no such planet as Symphonia OR those other two that you mentioned! Now cough it up- where are you from?"

"But- I'm not kidding!"

"He isn't- I know he isn't. We're telling the truth, mister," Colette added.

Just then, a woman with flaming red hair (_She could be Dad's sister_ thought Lloyd.) came on screen.

"Captain Antilles, what are you doing?"

"Madame Mothma! Oh, well, I'm trying to figure out what theses strangers are doing in Rebel territory, ma'am. They claim that they're from a planet known as Symphonia, which they claim was recently the twin worlds of Sylvarant and Tethe- something."

"Tethe'alla," corrected an exasperated Lloyd.

The man glared. "Whatever, squirt." Lloyd ignored the statement.

"So, Captain Antilles, do you believe them?"

"Well, no."

"I see." The lady with the red hair turned to address Lloyd and Colette.

"Are you telling the truth? Are you really from the twin worlds?"

Lloyd nodded, and then snuck a glance at the man. He was staring in shock at the lady.

"Lady Mothma- you KNOW about this world that they claim to come from?"

"Yes. It is a rather obscure world, so I doubt that any of the ship's computers have it in their databanks."

"But…I've never heard of it."

"Not many do. Neither one of the twin worlds has ever been represented in the Old Republic, nor have they done anything significant."

Lloyd rolled his eyes. Not done anything significant- yeah right!

"Look, sorry to interrupt your pleasant conversation right now, but will you hurry up and allow us to go through your space station?" The two people on the screen jumped slightly. Apparently, they had almost forgotten about Lloyd and Colette.

"Uh…yes, clearing ship to travel through the Sullust system…" The man said. However, the woman had other ideas.

"Please, travelers from the twin worlds, would you join us here in the Alliance?"

Lloyd looked rather suspicious. Why ask that now?

"Why would you want us to? You're not going to try and convert us to some sort of crazy cult or something, right?"

The woman laughed, while the man looked rather sour.

"No, travelers from the twin worlds, we are not. I would like to meet with you in order to gain your assistance in our war against the unjust Empire. I have heard that those of Sylvarant or Tethe'alla are particularly fierce warriors, second to none in power and intelligence." The last statement made Colette giggle, which in turn made Lloyd glare at her.

"Sure! We'd be glad to- right Lloyd?"

"What? Huh? Oh- uh…if you're okay with it, Colette, then I guess I'm good with it."

"Okay! We'll help you!"

The woman smiled warmly. "Good. We will prepare a landing dock for you. One of our X-wings will escort you there. Once you are inside the base, ask for Mon Mothma. That's me."

"And the guy is…" The man suddenly spoke up.

"Name's Wedge Antilles- I'm the captain of Rogue Squadron. I guess that since you're okay by Mothma, then you're okay by me. Welcome to the Rebel Alliance..."

"Name's Lloyd Irving."

"And I'm Colette Brunel."

"Ah. Welcome to the Rebel Alliance, Colette and Lloyd."

"Thanks." Lloyd shut off the communication.

"Well, Colette, looks like we're part of this 'rebel alliance' or whatever it is."

"Maybe this way we can find Kratos, Lloyd."

"I really hope you're right about that…"

_To Be Continued…_

A/N: Alright, Chapter 3 done! I'm so impressed with myself…Now, GIVE ME REVIEWS! PLEASE! I even accept anonymous ones…

COMING UP:  
Kratos, Luke, and Han try to avoid getting eaten by the sarlacc, and Lloyd and Colette continue to search for Kratos. LOTS OF KRATOS ACTION COMING YOUR WAY!


	4. Sarlacc Encounter

Alright, Chapter 4! And don't worry- I'm going to have Kratos meet up with Lloyd and Colette sooner or later- just don't worry about it now- just enjoy the story!

**Disclaimer: I own neither _Tales of Symphonia _nor _Star Wars_. They belong to Namco and George Lucas respectively. **

Chapter 4

Did I forget to mention that Tatooine is completely sand? That's right. No green, no yellow, no reds, but instead all brown. Yep, brown. Not that Kratos cared at any rate. Scenery was the last thing on his mind right now. After all, who could think about scenery when their hands were bound behind their back and they were being transported to some sort of gruesome monster in order to be killed for some sadistic worm-slug thing's twisted sense of humor? Kratos sighed. Still, scenery was better to think about than one's death. He decided to opt for not thinking about gruesome deaths and instead focused on the conversation that was currently going on between the other members of the execution barge.

"How're your eyes, Han?"

"They're getting better…everything's now really light instead of really dark. Wish I could see what was going on."

Luke smiled. "There's not much to see, actually. Just sand for miles. I should know. I used to live here, you know."

The other man gave a wry smile. "And now you're going to die here. Convenient."

"Don't worry so much, Han. I have a plan. There is no way that I will allow any of us to die here." Luke's voice was surprisingly calm.

Han snorted. "Some plan…"

The barge was now pulling up to a giant pit. Kratos peered in over the side. What greeted him were thousands of teeth, rearing up to greet him, gruesome- looking tentacles swaying in the slight breeze.

"Yuck." Luke voiced his sentiments. _My thoughts exactly…_thought Kratos.

A weird machine opened up one of the windows in Jabba's huge barge that was now pulling up to the skiffs that they were being held in.

"The mighty Jabba hopes that you will die honorably, and states that if any of you wish to beg for mercy, he will listen."

"3PO, tell that worm-ridden piece of filth that he'll get no such satisfaction from us!" Han was clearly trying to go down with a bang.

Luke looked up towards Jabba's barge. "Jabba- this is your last chance- free us, or die." There was an audible burst of laughter from the barge. Kratos sighed. He really was getting rather hot out in the heat of the twin suns.

The guards began moving Luke into position to be thrown into the creature's massive mouth. He raised one hand in salute as if to say farewell…and then jumped off the plank leading outwards. There was a gasp. Kratos smirked. The boy was daring, if not over confident. Luke grabbed the edge of the plank with his fingers, and then nimbly vaulted back onto the barge, taking the two guards in there by surprise. Acting swiftly, he booted one of the guards overboard into the sarlacc's waiting maw. He then caught a small cylindrical item from the air and ignited it. That same green beam extended. Deflecting blaster bolts, Luke quickly severed the binders on Han and Kratos.

"Will someone get Leia?" He yelled over the blaster fire.

"Who?" Kratos roared over the ensuring din. There were now other skiffs heading out towards them as Jabba roared his fury. His entertainment was backfiring!

"Leia," yelled Luke, "girl with a weird outfit on, probably with Jabba!"

"Can't you get her?" Yelled Han, as the furry creature that Kratos had learned was called Chewie let out a howling warning. Han ducked as a rod went right over where his head had been a second ago.

"I'm…a little…busy…here!"

"Is she on the barge?" asked Kratos.

"Yes! Can you get her?"

"I will try." Kratos knew exactly what he had to do.He opened his wings. The familiar cerulean splash behind him fluttered eagerly. Kratos cast a glance at Han and Luke. Luke was staring slightly, surprise on his face. Han, whose eyes were still out of it, was rubbing his eyes furiously, thinking that it was some sort of trick of light. Kratos took off for the barge, landing firmly on the deck of the barge. Shutting off his wings, he ran into the depths of the ship. Unfortunately, there were quite a lot of guards left. He drew Excalibur. Moving swiftly, Kratos sliced his way through the guards, finally reaching a sort of "throne room". Seated on a platform was the mighty slug himself, Jabba. However, the Hutt gangster did not see Kratos' entry. He was currently worrying about the girl at his side that was choking him with her chain. Moans of frustration were issuing from his slack mouth as he tried to loosen the tight chain that was cutting off his windpipe. The girl gave a final last tug. Jabba stopped resisting, and went limp, flabby hands falling to his sides and his huge tongue hanging out of his mouth. The girl gave a breath of relief. Then she saw Kratos, who had watched the whole affair with a hint of amusement on the corners of his mouth.

"Who are you, stranger?"

Kratos smirked. "I am Kratos Aurion. I was asked by Luke Skywalker to rescue a woman by thename ofLeia. If you happen to be her, then…how convenient." The girl scowled.

"I am Leia. Now hurry up and get me out of this!" She gestured to the heavy chain that bound her to Jabba. Kratos gave a slight "hmph", and brought Excalibur down on the chain. It split apart with a metallic whine.

"Now, let's go." Kratos helped Leia off of the platform, and then dashed off for the top of the barge. He was about to spread his wings and take off with her, when she stopped him.

"Wait- we need to destroy the ship."

"Hmph." was the response. _Is this the only thing the man says? _thought Leia.

Kratos scanned the deck for something that could aid him. _Hmmm…a blaster cannon there…but no, not my style. _Kratos sighed with exasperation. These people were so…barbaric. Blaster cannons were so outdated, even for a 4,000 year old angel…

He closed his eyes as the remaining pig-guards rushed onto the deck.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Leia cried, as she kicked one of the guards and then grabbed his blaster, shooting furiously into the melee that was rapidly surrounding them.

"A little help here?" Kratos opened his eyes in annoyance.

"Do not disturb me. I am trying to destroy the ship, and I can't do it with you interrupting my thoughts!" Leia scowled. Kratos sighed and then went back to casting. He glowed suddenly. Yes, his magic was properly charged now.

"_Sacred Powers- cast thy purifying light upon these condemned souls. REST IN PEACE, SINNERS! JUDGMENT!"_

Beams of light began streaming down onto the barge, striking through the surface and hitting the cannon. It exploded in a burst of sparks and flame, lighting the deck on fire. The guards who had been firing at Kratos and Leia abruptly stopped, and began concentrating instead on the fire that was rapidly spreading. Kratos smiled thinly in satisfaction.

"And now, we must depart." With a sudden move, he grabbed Leia in a bridal-style hold and leapt off the deck into the sands below. The young woman gasped as they fell, and then gasped even louder when she realized that the man who had rescued her was…flying! He soared over the burning remains of the barge, now tumbling into the awaiting jaws of the sarlacc. Landing on the skiff that Luke had managed to take control of after dispatching of the rest of the guards, Kratos released Leia, and then retracted his wings. They disappeared with a flash of white light.

"Hmph. I suppose you could say mission accomplished." Kratos said. His statement fell on deaf ears. Han, Luke, Leia, and Chewie were all too busy staring at him.

"You…you got wings…like a bird!" said Han.

Kratos glared. "Yes? And what does that have to do with anything?"

Leia spoke up. "Well, you see, people with wings suddenly sprouting from their backs aren't exactly normal- even for this galaxy."

A roll of the eyes was the response. "I am perfectly aware of that. I would just like you to stop staring at me like I am an exhibit at a zoo. This is not something that you NEED to know about- how I got the wings is MY business." Kratos turned away, muttering something like, "Damn you Yggdrasil. If I didn't have the Cruxis Crystal, then…" The four leaned in closer, hoping to catch a little bit more from the elusive man. Kratos whirled around.

"What are you looking at?"

"Uh…well," Luke stuttered slightly, "well, we just wanted to know who you really were."

"That will be revealed in due time."

"Oh great," said Han, "that basically means 'I don't want to tell you'."

"I suppose you could take it that way." The entire group could tell that the conversation was getting nowhere. There was an awkward silence. Suddenly, the beeping of a comm shattered the silence in the air.

"It's mine," said Luke automatically. He reached for his comm and brought it up. "Skywalker here."

A metallic female-sounding voice issued out. "Hello, Skywalker. It's me, Mothma. Have you completed your mission?"

Luke glanced at Han with a grin on his face. "Yup. Everything's under control."

"Good," said the metallic voice, "now, I need you to return to headquarters. We have some new recruits and I would like you to meet them. I am thinking that they could join Rogue Squadron if you needed some more pilots."

"Always in need, Mothma. By the way, we've picked up a new recruit here on Tatooine as well- guy by the name of Kratos Aurion. Not too bad with a sword- you know, those outdated metal things?" Just then, an explosion of sound took place from the comm.

"DAD! HEY! IT'S ME! LLOYD! ARE YOU REALLY THERE? HEY! HELLO!"

Kratos laughed. That sounded so much like his son.

"Yes, Lloyd, it's me."

"WOW! Hey- where've ya been? Colette and I were so worried when we found out you hadn't ended up on Derris Kharlan with us."

"I landed on some sort of desert planet- think the Triet Desert, Lloyd."

A higher-pitched voice joined the fray.

"Kratos? Is that you? I thought so. When Lloyd heard that Luke fellow say that you were with him, he started jumping up and down like a madman!"

"Hey! Awww…Colette…"

"Anyways, Kratos, hurry up and join us! We're part of this thing called the Rebel Alliance now, and Lloyd and I are both really confused on what's going on. I mean, after what happened to Derris Kharlan-" All of a sudden, Colette's voice cut off.

"Hey, Colette, don't want to spoil the surprise, now would we? Ehehehehehe…" Lloyd's nervous laughter echoed slightly. He was apparently trying to distract Kratos from whatever Colette was about to say. Too late. Kratos had already taken the hint.

Lloyd?" he asked sharply, "what happened to Derris Kharlan?"

"Uh…" There was a silence on the other end. "Uh…Dad? I…don't think you'll want to know…" Lloyd's voice drifted off.

"Lloyd," said Kratos in a dangerous voice that sent shivers down the necks of anyone who heard it, "tell me NOW."

"Okay, okay…er…Dad? Uh…well, this guy in black came in and accused of being these 'Jedi' or something like that- I forget. Anyways, we had to fight him off as well as a bunch of other weird guys in white. And then, right as we had the black guy cornered, the self-destruct mechanism went on! I don't know how it happened- I swear! Colette and I were nowhere near it! So, the switch was hit and we escaped in an escape pod, and then…" Lloyd's voice drifted off again. Kratos sighed. And after he had tried so hard to atone by staying with Derris Kharlan…it was all down the drain.

"Please don't be too mad, Dad. I didn't touch it, I swear!" The sincerity in the tone of voice Lloyd was using was rather evident.

"I am not 'too mad', Lloyd, but I do feel a little…disappointed." Colette's voice suddenly broke through.

"Don't worry, Kratos! I don't think anyone, especially Lloyd, would have wanted to have you staying in Derris Kharlan forever."

"I suppose you're right…"

"Don't beat yourself up, Dad. If anyone's to blame, it's that evil guy. I'm sure we can go find him and beat him to a bloody pulp or something."

"Perhaps…now, I must allow Luke here back on." Kratos handed the comm back to Luke, who took it with a grin.

"Hey, Mothma?" asked Luke, "Can I bring him up?"

Mothma's voice echoed from the comm. "No problem, Commander Skywalker."

"Thanks. Skywalker out." Luke switched off the comm. He turned to Kratos.

"So, you've got a kid?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'm sure he's anxious to see you, judging from your conversation, so let's get going!"

_To Be Continued…_

A/N: Chapter 4 is done! Sorry if it was sort of boring- I had to do that huge dialogue. Also, I know that I didn't have a Lloyd section, but that's because I put him in the comm episode. Don't worry- he'll get some more action soon. Now, please review and tell me what you think!

COMING UP: The Aurions plus Colette meet up on the Rebel base, and the whole gang goes on the Endor mission! WARNING: EWOKS IN NEXT CHAPTER!


	5. Mission Endor

WARNING: As of this chapter, I am going to stray a lot from the canon of _Star Wars_ and go into my own storyline. If you do not enjoy such total mutilation of your beloved _Star Wars_, then please, by all means, stop reading NOW and go read some _Star Wars_ fanfiction…

Also, this chapter will have a bit of father/son fluff between Kratos and Lloyd. I couldn't resist… NO SLASH! I suck at slash.

And for a final note, since I cannot write Ewok language, I am going to write what they say like so:

_/Hello/_

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Tales of Symphonia _or _Star Wars_.**

Chapter 5

_On the Death Star II…_

The Emperor smiled. It was not a kind smile. It was not a sad smile. It was a twisted smile; a smile that chilled the bones of anyone within a five mile radius of him and one that instilled fear in even his most stoic of subordinates. Right now, the Emperor was smiling about just one thing- the newest report his loyal apprentice, Darth Vader had just finished giving him.

"-I conclude that these strange people could only be very strong in the Force in order to perform such high-level magic." stated Vader.

"Is that so, my young apprentice?" The Emperor nodded, and allowed the feared dark lord to rise. "So…do you believe that these…strange people could be turned to the Dark Side?"

"I have already investigated the matter. The pair seemed rather vehement in their denial. They stated their desires to only find one of the two's father. I am sure that if we secure this person, then the two will eagerly fall."

"And what of young Skywalker?" The Emperor knew that under the mask, Vader was squirming with thoughts of his son. He enjoyed a private internal chuckle. No one knew how to manipulate people like he did. And playing mind games with Vader was one of his favorite twisted pastimes.

"We can use the boy still, my master. He is trained in the ways of the Jedi, unlike the other two, and is already quite skilled."

"Yes," mused the Emperor, "I do suppose that Skywalker will be the catch we have waited for. The other two are simply consolation prizes. Still, I think that they may be of some worth."

"What are your orders, my lord?" Ah, so his apprentice was already beginning to read his words perfectly…

The Emperor sneered. "My latest batch of information tells me that the Rebels are moving into position to invade the moon of Endor. My spies have also told me that Skywalker is going on the party down onto the moon to destroy the Death Star's shield generator from the inside, as well as the two Force-sensitives you mentioned earlier, Vader. I want you to be waiting for them on the moon when they arrive. Capture all three and bring them to me…ALIVE. I will break them and add yet more to our ranks of the Sith Order."

"As you wish, my master," intoned Vader. And, with a swirl of black cloak, he walked out of the throne room and down towards the hangar.

_Soon, my son. Soon you will join me…_

_Previously in the Rebel Space Station…_

Lloyd Irving paced back and forth nervously. He had been waiting for what seemed eternity for his father to arrive on the rebel base, and he was itching to see Kratos again. Lloyd stopped suddenly and exhaled deeply. He needed to relieve all of this nervous tension inside. Lloyd drew the Material Blades. They shone in the reflecting light and sent blue and red shadows bouncing off of the chrome walls of the landing dock. An idea formed in his mind. He smiled. Yes, training would be the best thing to do to get all of his excitement off of his chest…

Mon Mothma walked briskly towards the main hangar. Ever since Commander Skywalker had announced that he had completed his mission and was returning back to base, she had been busy formulating the plan that would allow the Rebel Alliance to destroy the Death Star II and the Emperor in one fell blow. Skywalker definitely had a major part to play in this plan. But what of the two new recruits, Lloyd and…Colette? Was that their names? She thought so. Her thoughts turned to the two. They were apparently quite powerful, having faced Vader on their own and had nearly won. Also, what of the mysterious man that Luke was bringing from Tatooine? Mothma hoped that this man wouldn't simply be one of those cantina junkies who had just happened to impress the commander. Heaven forbid what those brutes would do to her organized structure of order…

Snapping back to reality, Mothma was alerted to some strange noises. It sounded like something was swooshing through the air at a high speed, followed by some loud yells and booms. And those strange noises just happened to be coming from the hangar…Oh dear, what in the stars was going on? As she approached the hangar, Mothma noted the huge crowd of pilots that were standing around the entrance, frozen. They were focused on one blurring object that was hurling itself around the hangar, oblivious to the things around it. She frowned, and pushed through the crowd.

What greeted her was a very odd sight.

Mothma could only gape like the other pilots as the fresh recruit, Lloyd Irving, who was SUPPOSED to be one of their new pilots, spun neatly and slashed into the air, as if attacking some invisible opponents. His yells, which a couple of seconds ago had been completely undecipherable, were now crystal clear.

"RISING FALCON!" The boy leapt into the air and dove towards the ground, twin blades held out in front of him. He sped through the air, slicing through it with a soft thrum, and landed neatly, blades outstretched.

"SONIC SWORD RAIN!" Lloyd launched into a barrage of thrusts around the stomach area and then ended with a huge thrust forward.

"TWIN TIGER BLADE!" The blades thrust up and down as Lloyd jumped through the air, moving forwards as he swung up and down.

"HUNTING BEAST!" With a feral cry, he hurled himself forwards, and then did a breathtaking flip, landing on the ground and delivering a shock wave that shook the entire station.

"PSY TEMPEST!" The boy launched into a series of flips, bringing the red and blue blades around in a swirl of color. He landed, and then took a deep breath. The boy looked up, and stumbled back a little. _Were all these people watching me?_

"Er…hi…guys…" Lloyd's voice trailed off, and then got stronger. "So, uh, liked watching me train?" He quickly shoved his twin blades into their respective sheaths.

"Are you kidding me? That was incredible! I don't even know how you did that!" exclaimed one of the pilots.

Another pilot chimed in. "Man, you look like you could take on an entire troop of stormtroopers, with those moves!"

Wedge added the last word. "I'm just VERY glad right now that you're on our side." Lloyd grinned sheepishly at that statement. Just then a deep thrum of engines filled the room. A huge shadow fell over the hangar.

"_Millennium Falcon_, asking permission for landing," said Luke's voice over the comm.

"Permission granted, Commander. Welcome back," replied Mothma. She turned to the huge crowd behind her.

"Now, let us all get organized before Skywalker gets here and wonders what in the world we're doing." There was a ripple of laughter from the men, as they organized into a welcoming party. Lloyd stood to the side, standing with Colette, who had just arrived after hearing the comm message.

The_ Falcon _landed neatly on the landing pad, letting out some fumes of gas as the landing gear set in. A boardwalk was deployed as the entrance opened. Everyone leaned forward as a figure descended gracefully from the walkway. Slowly, a red-haired man emerged from the fog around the entrance (think Vader's entrance in Star Wars, for all of you who care) and walked down the walkway. He raised an eyebrow at the sight of practically the entire Rebel Alliance staring at this odd person. Who had ever seen a man with such antiquated clothing OR weapons? He was certainly out of the ordinary. Suddenly, a cry rent the air.

"DAD!" Lloyd came hurtling through, and tackled Kratos neatly, who had only the time to look surprised and lift his eyebrow a little bit higher before being grabbed in a bone-crushing hug from his son. Colette followed, looking VERY happy.

"Umph…Lloyd, would you kindly release me before you kill me just from this one hug?" Lloyd let go, grinning in an embarrassed way.

"Sorry, Dad. Emotions and all that stuff."

"I see." Kratos looked around. "We seem to have garnered a certainly large amount of attention." It was true- everyone present was currently staring at the three like they were totally crazy.

"Yeah, I know. Apparently, Symphonia is a pretty much unknown world here- most of the people I've spoken with told me that I was crazy and that Sylvarant and Tethe'alla were myths. Can you believe that?" Kratos chuckled lightly. Just then, Luke, Han, Chewie, and Leia emerged from the entrance, all looking happy to be back.

Luke grinned at Kratos. "Looks like your welcoming committee has already arrived."

Kratos glared slightly at the blond. "So it would seem."

Colette piped up. "Kratos, you must be pretty tired from that long journey. Why don't we go somewhere a little more private and continue this discussion? I think the nice people behind you need to take care of something that we probably don't need to know about."

_Hmmm…finally, Colette's sounding a little more mature…_noted Kratos, as he walked off with his son and Colette, leaving Luke and company to deal with Mothma.

"So…that's what happened." Kratos did not look angry as expected at the news of Derris Kharlan's fate, but rather, thoughtful.

"Yeah…look, I'm really sorry about it- I didn't even know I would blow up the entire place! Maybe this whole thing was a bad idea…if I hadn't used the Eternal Sword, then maybe we wouldn't have ended up here in the first place. This is all my fault…" Kratos put a comforting arm around his son, who had his head in his hands.

"Lloyd- listen to me- I don't know what happened with the Eternal Sword, but I do know one thing- this is not your fault. Do you get that?" The dual-swordsman gave a slight nod. Kratos sighed.

"Lloyd…" Suddenly, Kratos found himself being hugged once again. He looked down in surprise. Lloyd was clinging to him like a barnacle on a pier. "Lloyd? What's wrong?"

Lloyd sighed. "I don't really know. I don't know what I've gotten myself into. I don't have a reason to stay now, since the only reason I joined was to find you, but I can't go. The people here…they're really serious about this whole freedom thing. I…I want to help, but I don't know what to do. I can't pilot one of those huge thingies, and I can't fight against weapons I've never seen before…And then there's that huge guy in black. I asked some pilots around here and they told me that the guy in black was really powerful, and that he was really more machine than man…and…for some funny reason, I'm scared. I know I shouldn't, but I am."

Kratos smiled weakly. "Heh…Lloyd, it's only been ten months and already you've gone on another long speech. And I understand your emotions completely."

"You…do?"

"Yes. I know how you're feeling. Don't worry- everything will be OK. Just know that whatever battling you're in, don't expect me to stand by with that. Even if it means taking on that machine-man that you were talking about. We will defeat him, just like we did Mithos. Trust me. I am not going to fail in that regard."

Lloyd smiled. "Hey, Dad, who're you talking about long-winded? You just gave a pretty good speech right there."

"Humph…so it would seem." Lloyd burst out laughing.

"Sorry there, Dad, but for a minute, you reminded me of all the times you said that when we were on the Journey of Regeneration. Ah…I don't know how many times you said 'so it would seem' in that funny voice- fifty times?" He continued laughing.

"It's not that funny, Lloyd."

"It is!"

Kratos groaned. "Is everything that I say really that funny?"

"It's just that…you sound like some sort of pompous stuck-up angel when you say that, instead of my dad."

"Oh."

"Lloyd's got a point, Kratos," Colette chirped.

"I suppose…"

The two grinned at him. "You're so grim sometimes, it's almost hilarious!" Lloyd said between laughs.

"If you really find it that amusing…" Kratos stood up, an evil look on his face, "then perhaps you'll find this as amusing as WELL!" He began tickling Lloyd unmercifully, causing the boy to continue convulsing in laughter, as Colette giggled at the sight of the usually stoic angel doing something VERY kiddish.

This just happened to be the sight that greeted Luke when he entered the room.

"Oh! Uh…" The blond was caught in an awkward position, as all three looked up at him.

"Hello, Luke, I do rather apologize that you had to walk into a sort of uncomfortable position for yourself," said Kratos' calm voice.

"Yeah…sorry if I interrupted your…family time."

"Oh, it was nothing!" Colette said.

"And you are…"

"Colette. And this is Lloyd. You probably already know this, but Lloyd is Kratos' son."

"Oh. Yeah, I kind of thought so. Is he always like this around his son?"

"So, Luke, what are you here for?" interrupted Kratos, who did not like the way the conversation was turning.

"Oh- well, see, Mothma wanted to know if you wanted to help with the Endor mission, you know, the one to help shut down the Death Star's shield generators?" He was met with three identical confused looks.

"Oh…oops, I forgot- you guys weren't at the meeting were you?"

"No we most certainly were not," said Lloyd, "Care to fill us in?"

"I suppose…" began Luke.

"No, tell us!" said Colette. "Otherwise, Lloyd will be so confused that he'll probably end up doing the wrong thing!"

Everyone laughed except for Lloyd, who growled.

"Well," said Luke, "basically, we have to go down onto this planet's surface, and then enter this Imperial base- the Imperials are the guys we're trying to defeat, in case you're wondering. So, inside the Imp base, we have to shut down the shield generators for the Death Star.

"Er…Imps?" Lloyd looked like his brain was about to explode.

"It's short for Imperial," said Luke quickly.

"I see…" said Kratos thoughtfully. "And you need us to assist?"

"Yeah, seeing as you're probably more suited towards ground battles than space battles." Luke glanced at Lloyd. "Mon Mothma told me about your…display, Lloyd. Pretty cool! How'd you learn all that?"

Lloyd was caught off guard. "Huh? Oh- I'm self- taught, although Kratos did train me a TINY bit while we were on the Journey of Regeneration."

"Uh…what?"

"Oh- the Journey of Regeneration is something that I went on a while ago. We restored all the mana to the world of Symphonia." It sounded rather corny to Luke, but he didn't choose to say that.

"So…back to the point- do you want to go on the mission with us? I mean- I think we'd all feel a little safer with you with us."

"I'm in! What do you say?" Lloyd turned to Kratos and Colette.

Colette jumped up. "As long as Lloyd's going, I'll go too!" She gave a brilliant smile.

"I suppose if those two are going, then I will have to as well…after all, I have to make sure my son and his girlfriend don't get into TOO much trouble, eh?" Kratos gave a slight smile.

"Awww…Dad, stop embarrassing me!"

"So you're all in? Great! Follow me!" Luke dashed out of the room and down towards the hangar, the three close behind.

_Several hours later…_

"Are we there yet?" Lloyd asked while staring out the shuttle's window.

"No- now, for the fifteenth time- DO NOT ASK THAT STUPID QUESTION!" Kratos replied.

"Sheesh…sorry, Mr. Cranky."

"Humph…" That seemed to end the brief conversation, as the talking stopped for the next two hours. Finally, what seemed to Lloyd an eternity later, Han's voice rang through the passenger compartment from the cockpit.

"We're in view of the moon of Endor. Just give me a couple minutes people and we'll be landing."

"Now we'll see if that entrance code we got from our spies really works," muttered Leia.

"Entrance code?" Colette looked confused.

"The Empire requires codes in order to for ships to enter restricted zones. It's like their idea of a security system." Leia explained.

"Oh."

"They're hailing us- I'm opening a channel," called Han. The entire group waited with bated breath. Several minutes later, there was a sigh of relief from Han.

"We're going in, people. Hang on tight." He sent the shuttle into a controlled dive. They gently barrel-rolled down towards the moon's surface.

"WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA!" Lloyd yelled. "TRYING TO GET US KILLED!"

"THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT, KID! WE GOTTA MAKE IT LOOK LIKE WE'RE CRASHING! THAT WAY THEY WON'T COME WITH A WELCOMING COMMITTEE!" Han yelled back.

The shuttle continued its rocky descent. Now came the hard part…Yanking hard up on the controls, Han pulled the shuttle out of the dive just under the Empire's radar system.

"Won't they notice us anyways?" Kratos asked.

"Nope," replied Han, "I sent out a dummy a little while back. Small little illusion thing that made it look like the shuttle exploded. They won't come looking. Now, get ready to exit, people."

The entire team walked out into the lush forests of the moon of Endor.

"Nice scenery," commented Luke.

"Yeah…" said Han.

"Let's not forget our mission," warned Kratos, "We must find that base."

"Right." The group headed off into the greenery, unaware of the small beings watching them.

_/What do you think of those strange beings/ _asked one Ewok.

_/They are exactly like those that invaded our planet before. I do not trust them. / _said another.

_/Should we attack/ _

_/Not yet…these new beings smell interesting. Perhaps their intentions are not as bad as those that came before them. Let us watch and observe them…/_

The two Ewoks vanished like smoke into the trees.

_Meanwhile somewhere on the moon of Endor…_

"Sir! All men are ready to fight!" The stormtrooper neatly saluted.

"Excellent…" said Vader. "Now, find the Rebels here and crush them. Kill them all except for Skywalker and the two angels."

"We understand sir!"

_To Be Continued…_

A/N: Wow…really long chapter. Sorry I didn't have a lot of Ewok action, but I'm not really a fan of them…Also, this chapter was getting so long that I had to cut it off. Otherwise, I think some people would've stopped reading the chapter altogether…Ah, whatever. Review, please! Oh- and thank you to all my anonymous reviewers- I don't know what I'd do without all your support.

COMING UP: The team makes its way through the base, as the Symphonia members hold off hordes of stormtroopers along with some unlikely allies! Something tells me Vader isn't going to stand for this…


	6. Duel! Kratos vs Vader! Part I

Ch. 6 is now here! Yes, that's right- sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Note: The perspectives will change around for the first part of the chapter, so I'll alert you to them like so:

_/Kratos/_

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Tales of Symphonia _or _Star Wars_.**

Chapter 6

_/Lloyd/_

Creeping through the forests of the moon of Endor, Lloyd found the act rather exciting. Sure, he had snuck around a ton of places before, but not like this. His swords were out, the dangerous elemental blades in front of him, ready for action. His father and Colette were right next to him, sword and chakrams out respectively. Peering out of a bush, Lloyd looked left and right. Nothing. He nodded, and the entire group continued through the forest in silence.

_/Stormtrooper/_

"X5 Base? This is Imperial 9. Are we clear?"

"We read you, Imperial 9. You are cleared to leave." The stormtrooper captain nodded. He motioned tothirty other men.

"Move out!" With a thrum, thetroopers started the engines of their speeders and raced off into the forest. The chase was on.

_/Lloyd/_

Lloyd was crouched up against a tree, when a buzzing noise caught his ear.

"What the-" Lloyd was abruptly cut off as Kratos shoved him down into the loamy soil.

"GET DOWN!" Kratos hissed.

"Hey- what's going on?" Lloyd hissed back. He stretched his neck upwards, just in time to see three machines go flying by him. "What in-"

"Stormtroopers…" muttered Luke. He stood up and glanced around. "We're all clear, but somehow, I think they're on to us." Luke was proved right when a moment later, about three more stormtroopers came roaring by, opening fire on sight of the blond Jedi.

**_PSHH! _**Luke ignited his lightsaber faster than Lloyd could blink, quickly deflecting the blaster bolts back at the troopers. He turned back to Kratos and Lloyd.

"Go! I'll hold them off."

"Hey, mister, we can fight too, ya know!" shouted Lloyd.

"Lloyd, you idiot." Kratos slapped a hand to his face.

"What?"

"Your loud voice just brought MORE men."

"Oh. Oops." Lloyd turned as abouttwenty stormtroopers burst from the foliage and began running towards them.

"Put your hands up! I repeat, put your hands up!"

"Not a chance," retorted Lloyd. "We're not going down without a fight!"

A stormtrooper ran up to the commander in charge. "Sir! Your orders?"

The commander pointed at Lloyd, Colette, and Luke. "Kill all except for those three! Lord Vader wants them alive!"

"Oh crap." Lloyd barely had time to duck behind a tree as the stormtroopers opened fire once more. However, this time, they were not aiming at Luke- the blasts were targeted for the other members of the team: Han, Leia, Chewbacca, the two droids, and Kratos.

"DAD!" Lloyd's eyes widened when Kratos lurched back, clutching his arm. Apparently, one bolt had managed to get through the angel's defenses. "Are you OK?"

Kratos hurriedly cast First Aid. "I'm fine- he just got lucky."

Luke took stock of the situation. He turned to Lloyd. "Hey- Lloyd! Take your father and you friend and run! NOW! I already told you- we can hold them off!"

"But-"

"No buts! I'm the commander here, and I'm giving you an order!"

"Why, though?"

"Because-" Luke turned and slashed out, his lightsaber catching a stormtrooper by the leg. The man screamed in agony and fell off; the now rider-less speeder sped on until it crashed into a tree and exploded into a shower of sparks and parts. "- I don't want you guys to get captured!"

"What about you? And why the hell does everyone think we're freaking LIABILITIES?"

"Wow Lloyd! You actually used the word 'liabilities' correctly!" exclaimed Colette.

"Colette..."

"It's OK- these guys are a piece of cake. I just don't want to risk anyone else getting involved in something that I have to handle!"Luke decided tointerrupt before the two REALLY becameliabilities.Lloyd looked around. Luke was handling all the bolts well, using his lightsaber to double as a deflector as well as attacking. Han was busy blasting out some stormtroopers, Leia matching him shot for shot. Chewie was doing just as well. He sighed. Did that guy really want him to retreat?

"Fine. We'll go. You just have to tell us why we have to though."

Luke stopped for a moment to catch his breath. "Can't. Personal reason- that's all I'll say." He gave a grim smile at Lloyd. _If only you knew Lloyd…unlike you, getting captured by the Empire is the only way I'll be able to see my father. _Lloyd looked caught between two things for a minute, and then nodded.

"I'll accept that for now- but we're going to sit down and have a BIG talk one we regroup, okay?"

"Sure." Luke grinned, and then returned to fending off speeders.

Lloyd turned to Kratos and Colette. "Come on, guys! Let's go!"

The three sprinted off into the forest.

_/Stormtrooper/_

"Commander!" The foot trooper saluted sharply. "We have just been alerted that the two others besides the Jedi that we were ordered to capture have just retreated into the forest! Should we pursue?"

The stormtrooper commander thought for a minute. "Pursue…but do not use the speeders. We need the element of stealth here. Take about twenty men with you- do not allow them to escape! I will comm Lord Vader and inform him of events!"

"Sir!" The squad set off into the forest.

_/Vader/_

Darth Vader stood staring out into space. He was waiting…waiting for his son to show up with the squad of troopers he had sent out. Hopefully, Luke would show up unhurt. He stopped that train of thought. No…he couldn't think that way about the young man. Skywalker would turn, whether he wished it or not, and there would be no need for any sign of…affection between the two. He was suddenly jolted out of his musings by his comm. Vader flicked it off his belt and held it up.

"Vader here."

"Sir! Mission report!"

"Commence, commander."

"So far, we have been unable to capture any of the three beings you requested brought to you, sir. The Rebel Skywalker is currently engaged in a skirmish with our men. The two others- the angels- were seen to dash off into the forests. They were headed in what we think is your direction, sir. I have already sent out a squad to pursue them. Do you wish to take them on yourself, Lord Vader?"

"Yes- call off your squadron. I will handle these two myself."

"And what about Skywalker, sir?"

"Call off your men there too, commander. I know that Skywalker will head in my direction soon. I will handle him as well."

"Are you sure you do not need backup?"

"Yes. There is no need for your team to be out there anymore, commander. Return to base."

"Yes sir." The comm connection was shut off as abruptly as it had turned on. Vader clicked the comm back into place and turned towards the entrance. It was time to take care of the mission his master had originally given him…

_Skywalker…Luke…_

_/Lloyd/_

The three Symphonians ran faster than they had ever run before. They were all panting, but did not stop. Finally, Lloyd ground to a halt in a clearing. He turned to Colette and Kratos.

"Hey guys- I think I found that base."

Standing right before them was a giant building, its entrance yawning open like a tiger opening its jaws.

"Strange…" mused Kratos, "There are no guards anywhere. Whoever is in charge of defense operations here is either one, extremely stupid, or two, expecting us."

"The answer to that would have to be number two," rang a deep, metallic voice. Lloyd shivered. He knew that voice…

A fearsome figure came into the clearing from the base's entrance. It was the same black machine-man that they had confronted earlier in Derris Kharlan.

"You!" sputtered Lloyd.

The cyborg turned towards him. "Yes, that is right, Lloyd Irving. We meet once again. This time, however, you will not escape."

"Yeah, and this time, you're going down!" retorted Lloyd. "We know you're weak against angel magic, so why don't you give up now?"

"It is you that will have to give up. I'm afraid, or rather, I am not afraid, that my master has ordered me to capture you. You are needed within the Empire, not put to waste in the barely alive Alliance."

"Hey, mister- don't forget- you tried to kill us! What makes you think that we're going to follow you now?"

"There can be no resistance. If you refuse now, I will have to resort to force." A _phzz_, and then, a beam of red light extended from Vader's hand. "You will turn, whether you like it or not."

Lloyd started forwards. "Why you…" However, he was abruptly yanked backwards as a hand clamped down on his shoulder and pulled. Hard. Lloyd spun around to see who had done that, eyes seething with anger.

"Dad?"

Vader's masked gaze traveled to Kratos. "So this is your father, hm? The man you were searching for."

Kratos looked down, ignoring Vader's comment. "Lloyd- let me handle him."

"What?"

"I will duel him. You need to get in that base now and turn that generator off."

"But…what about-"

"No buts, Lloyd. Take Colette and go."

"Gee, first Luke and now you. How come everyone thinks we're so useless?"

"You are NOT useless. I need you to do this. After all, you've been seeing plenty of action for the past ten months. Let your old man stretch out a little bit. After all, a Cruxis angel has to stay in shape." Lloyd smiled.

"You know, you're getting more senile by the minute, Dad."

"I am NOT getting senile."

"Yes you are- you're getting less serious and more…weird."

Kratos rolled his eyes. Him? Senile?

"Look, Lloyd- just let me take him on, okay? There are things that I know that you two can do without me. Just don't get into too much trouble."

Lloyd grinned. "It looks like I can't persuade you otherwise, so…well…good luck! Don't worry about me and Colette. I won't let Colette blow anything up or anything like that. So see ya later!"

"Wait- Lloyd."

"What is it?"

"Can I borrow the Flamberge for this? Just this one battle. I promise to return it afterwards."

"Oh." Lloyd yanked the flame sword out of its sheath and tossed it towards Kratos, who caught it with relative ease. Kratos in turn tossed Lloyd Excalibur.

"Now, go on." Lloyd nodded. Turning, he dashed into the base. Colette followed soon after. Vader remained motionless. Then, he spoke.

"So…you are sacrificing yourself to insure your son's safety. How very heroic."

"I am sure that Lloyd can take care of himself. He does not need me to worry over him."

"Then why take this duel from him?"

"Because we have a mission to complete. You are not part of that mission, but merely…a side-quest of sorts."

"You really underestimate me that much?"

"No. I have heard from Lloyd about his duel earlier with you atop Derris Kharlan. Apparently, you blew Derris Kharlan up."

"Derris Kharlan? Oh- you mean that comet. It was of little consequence. There was nothing left on it anyways that was of value."

"So you destroyed it."

"I sense a hint of anger in your voice. Are you mad about its destruction?"

"I cannot say that I am entirely at peace about the matter, but what has been done has been done. Now- prepare yourself." Kratos made a sharp salute with the Flamberge, and then dropped it by his side, ready to begin on the offensive.

"It is more like you who should prepare. You have no idea what you are up against." Vader only gave Kratos a split second before charging.

"Hmph…" Sidestepping the attack, Kratos brought the Flamberge down towards Vader's unprotected back. He was surprised to find that the Sith had already pulled out of the charge and had blocked.

"You certainly are fast…" commented Kratos, as he launched into a flurry of thrusts and slashes.

"I am a master of the lightsaber." was the reply as Vader blocked each and every one of Kratos' attacks. He swirled his lightsaber in a circle, catching Kratos' blade at the hilt. With a quick flip, Vader sent the sword flying out of Kratos' hands. "Defeat is inevitable. Give up now."

Kratos smiled thinly. "Defeat is not an option here. I win NOW!" He opened his wings in a flash of light. The cerulean appendages seemed to mock the Sith in front of them.

"I was merely holding back on you. Now that I have seen how you fight, I will show you the power of a Cruxis Seraph." Kratos teleported. He landed right next to his sword, several feet away. He picked up the Flamberge. "Now- back to the matter at hand…Double Demon Fang!" With a swish, Kratos sent two shock waves at the Sith.

"I have already encountered an attack like that before," said Vader. "These weak things are nothing against my power." He sidestepped them, but was too slow to dodge the second set of shock waves from Kratos. "UGH!" Vader stumbled back, clutching his side. "How…how can that…"

"You are comparing me to my son," Kratos replied in an icy tone. "A mistake, to think our power levels alike. Unlike Lloyd, I have had 4,000 years to hone my skills…"

The Sith winced, and then looked up. "4,000 years? How is that…?"

"Possible? Hmph…it matters little how that occurs. All that matters is the battle. Get up and fight now!" Kratos launched back into the offensive.

"Super Lightning Blade!"

"Light Spear Cannon!"

"Double Demon Fang!" The combos went on and on. Vader did as best he could to counter, but several times he was hit by the stronger attacks.

"Ready to give up?"

"Never." Now, Vader took his turn on the offensive. He launched a series of slashes at Kratos' torso area. Then, he turned and swiped at the swordsman's head. Kratos ducked neatly and sliced under. Vader blocked, and then reached out with one hand.

"Fool…" Vader tapped into the Force and used his signature move- the Force Choke. Kratos found himself being lifted into the air, frozen in place. He gasped as an invisible hand began closing around his windpipe.

"Ugh…uhh…" Kratos forced himself to try and take one tortured breath. It was impossible. His throat was sealed off. This was it. He was going to die right here, on some unknown planet, fighting a man that he had never seen before until now.

_Damn…can't…breathe…Lloyd…_

_To Be Continued…_

A/N: Hehehe…evil cliffie right here…I'm so cruel. Ah, well, what's going to happen to our precious Kratos? Don't worry- I won't kill him off. I love him too much for that. Now, go hit that little button down below and REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! Oh- one more thing- I have no idea when I'm going to add the Ewoks as promised, so for now, just assume that I will NOT have them do anything else unless I find some usage for them. Taking into account my hate of the furry little things, probably not.

COMING UP: The (hopefully) thrilling conclusion to the duel between Kratos and Vader! Lloyd and Colette go Professor Raine on the generator! The Emperor goes inter-planetary! Luke goes father/son mushy! (No slash, by the way)


	7. Duel! Kratos vs Vader! Part II

OK. Sorry for taking so long to put out this chapter- I just had Spring Break and all, so…yeah.

Oh yeah- there's going to be more switching POV's in this chapter. It'll be like last chapter so I assume you all know what I'm talking about.

**Disclaimer: I have never owned Star Wars or Tales of Symphonia. **

Chapter 7

_Damn…can't…breathe…Lloyd…_Kratos' vision was turning black around the edges. His wings fluttered for just an instant, and then disappeared. He glared into Vader's face. At least he would go down fighting…

Just then, the world exploded. If he could have, Kratos would have seen Vader's eyes widen in shock just like his as the angel was suddenly bathed in white light.

_**/SHINING BIND/**_

The force of the attack sent Vader flying into the air, as Kratos glided upwards in a surge of power. Apparently, his angel abilities had kicked into overdrive when he went into critical condition.

Vader landed heavily, managing to at least land on his feel. Kratos touched down gently, then doubled over, panting. He had never had THAT happen to him before. He had always been able to cast Shining Bind, but he had never had it erupt spontaneously. He stood up, still glaring at Vader.

"It doesn't look like I'm dead yet." Kratos sneered.

"I am surprised. Well, now that I have seen your powers, I think a little change in plans will be in order. Do you agree, my master?" Vader intoned.

Kratos raised an eyebrow at the words, "my master". "And just what do you mean by that…?"

"What my apprentice means to tell you is that we now have a new target." Kratos swiveled swiftly. A cloaked figure emerged from the foliage, its voice harsh and grating on the ears. It didn't sound very human. Kratos stared.

"And I presume you mean switching from my son and Colette to me?"

"Yes, yes, smart boy. You seem to be catching on quite quickly." A luminous grin was seen from under the hood, the teeth long and crooked.

Kratos snorted at the word "boy". "Don't expect me to become your lap dog or anything. I have no desire for any power and such."

"Well, then we will just have to change your mind, eh?" A harsh laugh was heard. "Think, my boy. You say that your heart does not lust for power, but do not all humans do so, even if in secret?"

Kratos remained firm. "I have had much time to search through my heart, and I have found that no desire for power or wealth exists. On the other hand, I would prefer not to have such things."

The figure turned to Vader. "Fine then. If words will not change, then perhaps FORCE will. Continue the duel, Vader."

"As you wish, master." The ebony mask turned to Kratos. The lightsaber came up.

_Wait for it…wait for it…_

Kratos braced himself for the attack. He swung the Flamberge up just in time to block the diagonal slash from Vader. Just then, a searing pain flared through his side. Kratos gasped in pain and turned- to find the figure pull out an equally red blade of light from his side.

"Ehehehe…fool. I will have what I want, even if it means harming the package." The hood was thrown off, to reveal the man underneath. Or rather, the monster. The Emperor's skin was sunken and wrinkled, yellow eyes flaming with crimson pupils. Kratos staggered back in disbelief. How in the world would Vader bow to THIS creature?

"So this is…two…on one, hm?" Kratos looked from Vader to the Emperor. Both were advancing on him at the same time. He was clearly at a severe disadvantage. Kratos glanced down to his side. It was smoking, but had cleared enough to reveal a long cut of charred flesh. He looked up.

"_First Aid!" _The magic rose up, winding its way around the cut, sealing it up enough to just leave an angry red mark.

Right then, the Emperor made his move. Moving faster than Kratos would have expected from someone of his apparent age, he bore down on the angel. Kratos blocked with one hand, and then slammed down his other fist into Vader's mask as he came in from the other side. The cyborg retreated…and then re-attacked. Kratos moved gracefully to one side to avoid the swing, and then blocked the Emperor with the Flamberge. Time to reopen the wings…

The cerulean appendages sprang to life, and Kratos took to the skies, soaring away from the base and into the forests surrounding. The two Sith followed suit. Sighing, Kratos mulled the situation in his head as he began casting. He had battled two enemies at once, but they had never been of this hubris or moved as well as a pair. This was going to take a while, but Kratos was sure that he could defeat them. Of course, that was going to mean a little _magic_ time…

_**/Luke/**_

Luke ran forward, lightsaber raised, only to find that the stormtroopers were…retreating? He stopped, a tad bit confused. Why would the troopers suddenly retreat when they had been trying to capture him with such vigor? The whole affair was giving him a headache. Looking over to Han, Leia, and Chewie, he noticed that they were just as confused as he was. What in the world was going on? All of a sudden, Luke got a really bad feeling. An aura of evil was permeating the air around him, settling down on the Jedi with smothering force.

"He's here…" Luke breathed.

"Who's here?" Han looked even more confused.

"My fa- I mean- _Vader_. He's here. And there's someone else. Someone who's even more evil-feeling. I don't know who it is, but that person is giving me the chills." Luke glanced around nervously.

"Vader's here?" asked Leia, with apparent shock on her face.

"Yes. I can sense him."

"Great, kid! Now's your chance to take down the Emperor's right-hand man! He'll probably never expect you to come after him again after what happened on Bespin." Han's face split into a grin. Chewie howled in agreement.

"If you take down Vader, the Alliance will be one step closer to taking down the Empire. The Emperor will be helpless without his Sith lapdog," added Leia.

Luke went along with their comments, smiling and assuring them that he was going to take this opportunity and go after Vader. But inside…

_Leia…I'm sorry…but…this is our father that we're talking about. I can't kill him. I wish you knew about Father, but I think the truth would devastate you. So…I'm sorry._

"Listen, can you three go to that base and turn off the generator? I think that Kratos and the others are already there, so you can go join up with them. I'm going after Vader."

They nodded in agreement, and then ran off towards the base. Hopefully, this would gain him some time to find his father and lead him away from the others. It was time for a little family chat…Luke smiled before running off in the opposite direction- unknowingly headed straight towards his father's duel of his lifetime.

_**/Kratos/**_

Kratos was still in the air, breathing heavily. He had already cast about five spells, ranging from Grave to Fire Lance. Each had taken their toll on the two Sith below him, but they seemed to take it like it was nothing. Then, a shock of understanding hit him.

_You idiot…they're only vulnerable to ANGEL spells…_

Of course! How could he have been THAT dumb? As he dodged another flying tree sent his way by Vader, Kratos suppressed a little grin. Maybe living forever wasn't so bad after all…

"_**Judgment**"_

The beams of light once again plunged down towards the ground just like they had on Tatooine. Dodging nimbly, Vader escaped the death rays. The Emperor simply deflected them with his lightsaber. Vader turned to his master.

"Master, I think he has- UNGH!" Vader dropped as Kratos teleported straight behind him and used Fierce Demon Fang, hitting the black cyborg square in the back. A thud was heard as ebony armor hit ground.

The Emperor let out an evil cackle. "Excellent, excellent. You are truly one of the Dark Side. I will ask you once again to join us- and become unstoppable!"

Kratos sneered. "You think that after all this I would join you? How very sad, seeing as you have failed to convince me one bit of any sort of power that I could have from joining you. Your so-called apprentice is pathetic. That armor only hinders him further than protects him. If you want to truly be powerful, you wouldn't have to fight with armor or unfair advantages."

Another cackle. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to correct you there. For a more…_proper_ version, I would have to say that only if one must be chivalrous and honorable, will they fight without taking advantage of such situations."

Kratos glared. This monster had NO morals whatsoever. He thanked Martel that his SON wasn't going to be like this. "If that is what you believe, then so be it. However, if you haven't noticed already, this is now a _one-on-one _battle. That means no more number advantage. And don't underestimate me, or else you will pay rather dearly for your large blunder as your _apprentice_"- Kratos put a painfully sarcastic emphasis on this word-"did." He pointed the Flamberge at the Emperor. "Now come."

And Emperor Palpatine did. There was a flurry of slashes and thrusts, supplemented with the Emperor's favorite, Force Lightning. Of course, Kratos was unaffected by this elemental attack because, as all who had dueled him before knew, he was mostly affiliated with the lightning element. Kratos smiled as the Emperor ended his attack as his adrenaline rush disappeared. The old man backed off, breathing heavily.

"It seems that not even the master can compare with the recruit, eh?"

The Emperor looked up. "Mwehehehe…young fool…don't be so confident in yourself, or else you will fall, just like he did." He pointed at Vader.

"Fall? As in turn to your so-called Dark Side?"

"No, as in fail in your battles against me."

"Hmph. I have confidence only for good reason. You are underestimating me, just like I expected. Is it because of my appearance?" Kratos gave Palpatine a questioning look.

"Mm…your appearance does not affect my image of you. It is more of your style, the words you choose. You speak to me as if you were my elder. I would think not."

Kratos smiled thinly. "Ah…so it is my appearance, or rather, my assumed youth that is throwing you off. If only you knew…"

"Knew? Knew what?"

"Knew your mistake, young one." And with that, Kratos launched his offensive, slicing, swinging, and twirling- all with a grace that seemed ingrained in his body. He swung low. The Emperor blocked low. He grinned, as if to egg Kratos into attacking him further. Kratos complied with a heel kick to Palpatine's chest that sent the Emperor staggering. Just then, Vader managed to get to his feet.

"You are going to pay for that," he rumbled.

"I think not. Both of you are not in condition to fight me, despite your number and age advantage. You would think after a good 4,000 years that my body would have deteriorated out of fighting condition. It seems not to be so, however." Kratos watched their expressions shift to one of disbelief, although the Emperor tried hard not to show it, and Vader's face was hidden by his mask.

"Nothing to say, eh? Then let us continue." Kratos resumed his attack frenzy, again moving with smooth grace that was time-honed. Shoving the Emperor into a nearby tree as he blocked his attack, Kratos went straight for Vader. He slammed the Flamberge towards Vader's control panel. Vader blocked. Kratos brought his sword back and then thrust forward again. Vader side-stepped and then brought his lightsaber down onto Kratos' sword-arm. Kratos rolled inward, ending at Vader's back.

"Once again you fail to protect your back. I am sorely disappointed. Super Lightning Blade!" Purple lightning played over Vader's armor, sending him crashing into the ground once again. Kratos looked around and smirked.

"So…still have that offer from you?" The Emperor had been knocked out when he had crashed into the tree that Kratos had shoved him into. Vader was on his knees breathing hard. Apparently, lightning worked havoc on his breathing system. Kratos looked down at Vader.

"I'm not going to forget the fact that you wanted to recruit my son and his girlfriend as well. Consider this your warning." He raised the Flamberge once more. Right then, Luke Skywalker ran into the clearing.

_**/Luke/**_

Running through the dense foliage of the moon of Endor, Luke found himself with a growing feeling of dread as he went further into the forests. There was something wrong with his father…he knew it. Their Force bond was screaming with pain, and Luke occasionally winced. The fact that his father might very well be screaming his life out made him run all the faster. Just then, a cry rent the air:

"Super Lightning Blade!" A crackle of electricity, and a thud. A very heavy thud. Almost sounded like…metal hitting the ground. Luke's heart jumped into his mouth.

_Father!_

Now sprinting with almost inhuman speed, Luke dashed off towards the noise.

_Almost there…hold on, Father…I'm coming…_

The noises were getting louder. He could hear a deep voice talking. Was that…Kratos?

"I'm not going to forget the fact that you wanted to recruit my son and his girlfriend as well. Consider this your warning." Time seemed to slow. He watched with horror as Kratos raised his sword- was it on fire? - right above Vader's neck.

_He was going to kill him._

No! No! Luke wasn't about to let that happen. One more dash- he was almost there- was he going to make it?

_**/Normal/**_

"STOP!" Kratos looked up in surprise. Luke burst into the clearing, lightsaber ignited.

"Luke…?" There was a look of confusion on Kratos' face. "What are you doing here?"

"Kratos…" panted Luke, "don't…kill…Vader..."

Kratos frowned. "I wasn't planning on doing that. I have no desire to do some unnecessary killing."

"Then…put…the…sword…down…please…" The Jedi was holding his side- there was a major stitch in it.

"As you wish." The Flamberge's point was lowered. "So Luke, you haven't answered my question. What are you doing here? I thought you would go ahead to the base and meet up with Lloyd and Colette." 

Luke straightened up. "You sent Lloyd and Colette off by themselves? What? Then…what are YOU doing here?"

"Hmph. This…_man_"- he waved a hand at Vader- "attempted to stop us from entering the base. I simply distracted him while Lloyd and Colette took care of the mission. However, our battle sort of blew over when HE arrived." Kratos pointed at the unconscious Emperor. Luke stared. Was that…?

"Oh. OK. Well, you should, uh, go meet up with Lloyd, Kratos. I'll handle it from here." Kratos met his request with a raised eyebrow.

"Now that is interesting. I was under the impression that you didn't want to fight him. Now you have changed your mind? I think something deeper is going on around here."

Luke looked sort of guilty. "Well, I…I…I'll tell you later. Just…just leave him to me, OK?"

"So I'm not the only one keeping secrets."

"I guess…heh…" Luke's laughter died away.

"I have to see this." Kratos stood there, looking rather smug.

"What? You're not…"

"This is nothing personal. I just want to see how good you are, to claim that you can take care of two people at once."

"Uh…could you?"

"I certainly could, but since you decided to remove me from the battle field, I would like to see what you do instead."

"Oh…OK…" Luke felt extremely stupid right now. Then, something struck his mind. "Oh- by the way, Kratos- you said you told Colette and Lloyd to take care of the generator?"

"Yes. I am guessing you sent someone else there too as well?"

"Uh…yeah. I already sent Leia and Han there too."

"I see." Kratos looked a little amused. _Hmm…wonder what Lloyd and Colette are up to anyways…_

_**Previously with Lloyd and Colette…**_

"Gee, Lloyd! This place is HUGE!"

"Yeah, no kidding. And they've got all these crazy machines too. Which one's the generator?"

"I don't know. I bet the Professor would know if she were here though."

"Yeah…" The two stood for a minute, thinking about how Raine would have acted if she were inside with them.

"Scary…" Lloyd voiced his sentiments on the mental image he had just gotten.

Colette smiled at Lloyd. "Well, let's get started!"

"Let's get started doing what?"

"Looking for that generator!"

"OK." The two wandered deeper into the base, taking time to point out interesting pieces of machinery and such. Eerily enough, there was nobody in sight around.

"That's odd…wonder where all the guards are…this place should be crawling with them…" Lloyd looked confused.

"Maybe they're all taking a nap," Colette offered.

"Yeah…" Just then, they arrived at a large chamber. It was glowing. In fact, it was glowing bright orange.

"Nice lights…" Lloyd commented. He stood there, admiring the effect it had on the walls.

Colette ran to the middle of the room. "Hey Lloyd, check this out!" Lloyd ran over.

"WHOA!"

"I know! How coincidental is that?"

"Gee…thought these things only existed on Symphonia…"

"I wonder how it got there…" Straight in the middle of the room was indeed the generator. However, it was actually just encompassing something else. Something that looked awfully familiar to Lloyd and Colette. Straight in the heart of the pulsing generator…was an oracle stone.

"My question is, how in the world did the Empire get their hands on one of these?"

"Beats me, Lloyd. Maybe they took it from one of the ruins."

"Yeah…maybe. Hey- Colette- let's try and see if we can get to that oracle stone." Lloyd ran over to the controls. "These should turn the generator off. Now…which switch do I press?" The control panel had about 100 switches, ranging in color from blue to orange to magenta.

Colette ran over. "Well Lloyd, let me take a- WHOOPS!" True to Colette-fashion, the ex-Chosen tripped for some unknown reason and hit the panel. Immediately, the switches began flashing. Lloyd frowned.

"That didn't seem to do anything…"

Suddenly, a machine-like voice rang out. "Self-destruct activated. Timer set for 10 minutes."

The two looked at each other.

"Oh crap." Lloyd muttered.

"Gee, Lloyd, we seem to be in this situation a lot, huh?" Colette was her usual cheery self despite the odd circumstances.

"You could say that again…Now let's get out of here!" Lloyd grabber Colette's hand and began dashing off towards the exit. The building was shaking a lot by now, and the roof was beginning to cave in.

"Almost there…almost there…" panted Lloyd.

"Lloyd! Look out!" Glancing up, Lloyd acted quickly. Grabbing Colette, he dove through the entrance. A giant piece of the ceiling collapsed, falling just where they were 5 seconds ago, sealing off the base.

"Thank goodness for that," said Lloyd. He turned back to Colette. "Now let's get-"

There was a huge explosion from behind them.

_**BOOM! CRRRAAAACCCKKK!**_

A big shockwave blasted the two off their feet and into the nearby shrubbery.

"Oh…my head…" Lloyd got up, rubbing his temple.

"Well, that was interesting," commented Colette as she pulled a twig out of her hair. The pair glanced back at the ruins.

There in the center stood the oracle stone. Despite the rest of the building being blown to smithereens, for some odd reason, the stone had been protected, probably by the generator, which had also been destroyed. At least it was a mission accomplished.

Colette looked at Lloyd.

Lloyd looked at Colette.

"Go for it," they said at the same exact time.

_To Be Continued…_

A/N: Well, that was certainly long. Sorry for those of you who got bored. Anyways, there you have it- chapter 7. Please review.

COMING UP: What is the meaning behind the oracle stone? And will Kratos' (actually now Luke's) duel with Vader and the Emperor ever end? Find out in chapter 8!


	8. Ebon Armor and Oracle

And here it is…the highly anticipated Ch. 8!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia nor do I own Star Wars. Oh, and I do use some lines from the movie, so I guess I have to disclaim those too. **

Chapter 8

_/Lloyd and Colette/_

Colette and Lloyd cautiously walked over to the oracle stone, which was faintly glowing.

"Wow…" breathed Lloyd. It looked like every other oracle stone that they had encountered, but this one seemed different somehow. For one, it was all black, polished to the point that Lloyd could see his reflection in it. Colette peered at it.

"Strange…it doesn't seem to be like all the others."

"Yeah…wonder if it's not really an oracle stone."

"But it has to be, Lloyd! Look- it's even got that place for me to put my hand on it!"

"I don't know…I don't really trust it…"

Lloyd's brow furrowed. Gosh…he hadn't had to think like this for a while…The amount of "what if"-ing that his brain was doing was insane. It was driving him crazy!

Colette looked at Lloyd. She wanted to make sure that everything was OK with Lloyd before touching the oracle stone. Personally, Colette wanted to see what was sealed in the thing herself, but she wanted to make sure that everyone present would be alright with doing so.

The two stayed like that for a while, bending over the strange object, debating over whether or not to unlock the seal.

_/Kratos and Luke/_

Kratos stood there, smirking, as Luke slowly circled Vader. He could tell that there was a storm brewing in the Jedi's mind right now, and he needed to see what it was all about. From the look of things, it probably involved Vader, who had just risen to meet his new opponent, lightsaber glowing.

"So, Skywalker, you have decided to join us."

"No, Father, I have not decided to join the Dark Side. I am here to protect my friends and help the Rebellion."

Kratos got a little mental jolt. So THAT was the connection! Hmm…not too unlike him and Lloyd…

"The Rebellion is dead. The Empire is dead. Neither side will ever prevail. Join me now, and together we can take advantage of both our powers and the current situation! Imagine, Luke. Together we could rule- father and son."

Luke looked horrified. "No, Father, I could never do that. I know that you could not either. Your heart is still good! I know that under that armor my father Anakin Skywalker still lives! The Dark Side hasn't engulfed you completely yet, Father! Search your feelings- you know that there is still Light within you yet."

"Is that what you think? You are mistaken. There is no hope in the Light left for me now, Luke. I am the Dark Side. There is no 'Anakin' left. Darkness is all I am now."

"No, Father! I know that what I say is true! And I have proof! If you truly had given into the Dark Side, then you would have killed me on Bespin! But you didn't, and it was after this that I realized that you could still turn back to the light."

"It seems I cannot sway you otherwise. Very well. Let me show you then another way- BY LIGHTSABER!" And with that, Vader lunged at his son. Luke parried, but made no attempt to fight back.

"I won't fight you, Father!"

"Then you will die- or turn- whichever one you choose." Vader resumed his attack. No one noticed the Emperor rise slowly from the ground; not even Kratos, who was too focused on the duel before him to look.

The Emperor's face split into a creepy grin at the sight of his apprentice fighting his son. Yes, this was the perfect test. After all, there could only be two Sith total in the universe. Whoever survived this tragic duel would truly be his apprentice.

Their blades locked, Luke and Vader pushed against each other, trying to knock the other off foot. They separated with a thrum, and then returned to their duel. Luke was trying his best to hold back his rising anger and resist attacking his father. There had to be a way to end this mess…there had to be! Just then, Vader switched tactics.

"It seems, Skywalker, that you will not turn. Hmm…but I wonder…" Suddenly, Luke felt a presence stream into his mind, searching for the piece of information that he had tried so hard to keep secret. It found it, and then ripped it from his mind.

"Ah…so you have a twin sister…the Princess of Alderaan, nonetheless! How very interesting. If you will not turn, the perhaps…she will?" Luke's eyes widened in horror when he realized what Vader could do.

"NOOOO!" With an inhuman cry of rage and fury, Luke leapt at Vader, allowing his rage to flow through him. He slashed. Vader blocked. He slashed again. Vader blocked again, but this time, he seemed to weaken. _Excellent…_thought Luke's crazed brain. Quickly taking advantage of his opponent's weakness, Luke pressed on. He attacked with renewed vengeance.

"YOU-WILL-NEVER-TOUCH-MY-SISTER!" He accented each word with another attack. Each one drove Vader further and further back, until the cyborg was finally backed up against a tree. Luke looked at his father, eyes blazing. The Sith's respirator system was making wheezing sounds, as if Vader couldn't breathe very well. His lightsaber was laying just a couple of feet away from him.

"You are going to pay for threatening my sister." Luke said in a steely voice. Kratos shook his head sadly. The young man was going over the edge. Was he really going to murder his own father in cold blood? Luke raised his lightsaber in preparation for the final strike.

"Excellent, my young apprentice. Now, strike him down and claim your place at my side!" The Emperor's voice brought everyone back to reality. He was grinning like the Cheshire Cat at Luke, almost expecting Luke to suddenly plunge his lightsaber up to the hilt into his father's chest.

Luke looked at Palpatine in horror. Ugh…how…how in the stars had he actually…he looked down at his father, and then back at his lightsaber. He switched it off. The Emperor's grin faded.

"What are you waiting for, Luke? He's weak, he deserves to die!" Kratos had the sudden urge to make a very Lloyd-like speech right there.

Luke shook his head. "No, I won't, Your Highness. You see, I am a Jedi, like my father before me. I'll NEVER join the Dark Side." He threw his lightsaber to the side.

Kratos smiled. Martel, the boy was brave. Of course, from the look that the Emperor was giving Luke, there was probably going to be a consequence for such bravery.

The Emperor snarled. "So. You too decide that you can just walk away from the power that I could give you. Well then, I have no use for you. Feel a taste of the Dark Side!" The Emperor let out a blast of Force Lightning that hit Luke like a rocket blast. Kratos' eyes widened as he watched the horrific sight play out in front of him.

_Damn…why doesn't Vader DO something? This is his own son we're talking about!_

But Vader seemed motionless, caught between two different decisions. He was trying to retain his loyalty to the Emperor at one time, and then trying to suppress the sudden fatherly urges he was getting at the other.

The Emperor released Luke from his attack, leaving the young man gasping for breath on the forest floor. His complexion had turned to an unhealthy ashen color.

"Fa…ther…Help…me…please…" Luke pleaded. Vader appeared not to hear.

The Emperor chuckled. "You are trying to kindle an already dead flame, young Skywalker. My apprentice is completely loyal to me. Now, DIE!" He let out another stream of lightning and watched again in pleasure as Luke writhed on the floor once more.

Vader was having a hard enough time trying not to stop and help his son, but now alarms were going off in his brain telling him that if he didn't get rid of Palpatine, then Palpatine would get rid of his son. It was getting a little too much for the Sith. With each growing moment, he could tell that he had to stop Palpatine. Just then, another thought hit his brain.

_He was going to kill him._ The Emperor would not let Luke have a second chance. That meant- oh Sith that meant-no he couldn't let himself do that- but this meant- why was he doing- why wouldn't his brain just SHUT- no, there was too much-couldn't tell-

Vader snapped. He Force- called his lightsaber to him and ignited it. He walked over to the Emperor. Even more mental alarms were going off now, all unheeded. All that mattered was Luke...

"Very good, my apprentice. Now, finish Skywalker!" Vader took one step forward.

And then turned and sliced through Palpatine's hands (think Count Dooku, Episode 3).

Palpatine collapsed to the ground and looked up at Vader in shock. "What…how…" For once, there was fear etched into his face.

"_Don't. Touch. My. Son._" Vader growled. "Goodbye, Master." With one slice, he sent the Emperor's head flying. Luke pushed himself up, gasping for breath, apparently not believing what he saw.

"Father…you…you _really_…"-he stared at the Emperor's headless body, which was now faintly smoking-"I didn't think that you…would…_whoa_…" Dawn broke over rock head.

Vader turned slowly. "I…guess there still is some Anakin in me." Luke grinned.

Kratos sighed. "I'm sure that this is going to become a very touching moment, but I'm afraid that we still have work to do." Vader and Luke looked at him in surprise.

"Oh- Kratos- er…forgot you were there," Luke said sheepishly.

"That is fine by me. I prefer not to be noticed half the time, especially during a life-or-death duel." The seraph replied.

"What do you mean, 'still have work to do'?" asked Vader.

"What I'm saying is that we still have that Death Comet or whatever still floating around, completely unaware of what has just transpired down here. If we don't tell them that their leader has been killed, I'm afraid that much blood will be shed."

"Oh." said Luke. "Uh…guess we better get to that base then."

The three men ran off quickly into the distance.

_/Normal/_

Kratos, Luke, and Vader ran into the base clearing, half expecting to see some huge battle going on. However, they were met with a very different sight. There was a huge crater in the middle of the clearing, with a very annoyed Lloyd and Colette standing there as a very mad Leia told them off, with a very embarrassed Han standing off to the side.

"Uh…Leia…uh…what happened here?" Luke asked.

Leia whipped around. "Oh! Luke! Well you see, these two dunderheads decided that they would just hit the self-destruct button, and then blew up the entire base!"

"Hey!" Lloyd yelled. "If it wasn't for us, I bet you'd still be fighting your way through all of this! You should be thanking us for doing the job for you!"

Han stepped lamely in and said, "They are sort of right, Leia."

"No we wouldn't have had! If YOU had gotten here already, then by the time WE got here, shouldn't YOU have been blasting your way through?"

"Nope, because there weren't any guards around!" Colette said cheerfully.

"HUH?" Everyone looked confused.

"That's strange…I had about two squadrons here when I first arrived," noted Vader.

Leia and Han froze, as well as Lloyd and Colette.

"I know that voice…" Han said.

"Yeah…" said Lloyd. They all turned on the spot.

"VADER!" yelled Leia and Han.

"IT'S THAT CREEP!" yelled Lloyd.

"Oh, hello, are you on our side now?" asked Colette.

"I suppose I am," replied Vader.

Immediately, Luke found him swamped by Leia and Han. Lloyd was just standing there gaping at Colette, who was explaining to Lloyd how she knew that he was good all along. The words "think Sheena, Lloyd" were heard.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS LUKE? DON'T YOU KNOW WHO HE IS?" Leia pointed furiously at Vader.

"I…well, see, Leia, I never told you or anyone really, but uh…uh…"

"What?" Leia asked irritably. "That he's a mass murderer? In that case, Luke, I already know that!"

"Er…Vader's my father."

"WHAT?" Leia and Han again swamped Luke.

"And…uh…Leia? Er…you're, uh, my twin sister. I just found out. See, when I went to Dagobah to meet up with Yoda again, he told me. He told me that there was another Skywalker. And I sort of figured out that it was you."

Leia looked in shock. Han looked like he had lost Luke after the "found out" section.

"So what you're saying is that Darth Vader, feared Sith Lord, is…MY DAD?" Leia shrieked.

"Er…yeah." This clearly was NOT going as Luke had planned.

"I…" Leia opened her mouth, and then closed it. "I…" Suddenly, she turned and dashed off into the nearby forests.

"Leia!" Luke shouted. He ran after her.

Kratos looked at Vader. "You're not going to…?"

Vader gave a mechanical sounding sigh. "I would, but I think that my daughter needs a little time to think. After all, I think I'd be pretty shocked if I found out my worst enemy was my dad."

Kratos shrugged. Lloyd made a noise that sounded like _"Kratos"_.

"So why are you still in that suit, Mr. Vader?" asked Colette. "I mean, now that the battle's over, can't you take it off?"

Another mechanical sigh. "I wish I could, but I cannot. My whole life depends on this suit. I cannot breathe properly without it." Colette looked shocked, but only for a split second.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry for." The Sith replied.

"Well, I'm sure we can find a way to get you out of that suit. Right, Lloyd?" Colette looked expectantly at Lloyd.

"Oh…er…uh…yeah. I'm sure the Professor knows a way."

Just then, Luke came running back with Leia, who, on sight of Vader, glared. He walked up and whispered, "Sorry, guys, but she's not budging. I think she's sort of traumatized."

"Oh." Vader sounded depressed.

"Don't worry, Father. I'm sure she'll come around sooner or later." Han snorted.

"Knowing Her Highness, probably later." Leia glared.

"I heard that."

Resigning the issue of Leia, the group turned to the other matter at hand- the oracle stone.

"I believe that we should have the Chosen go ahead and activate the oracle. It is necessary to see what is being sealed within the stone." Kratos said.

"Yeah," Lloyd replied, "it could be something that we need to know about."

Leia eyed the stone. "Are you sure it's safe?"

Colette gave a sunny smile. "Yup! Back on Symphonia, there were lots of these things!"

"Well, I'm in for whatever it is," Han said with a shrug of his shoulders. Whatever they were talking about had nothing that would concern him. Chewbacca barked in response.

"Well, then, if the Chosen would be so kind…" Kratos began.

"No problem!" Colette walked over to the oracle stone and placed her hand on it. There was a "ping" that signaled the activation, and then a rumble. Slowly, a small bead of light emerged from the stone and then flashed. Everyone covered their eyes. In a couple of seconds, a shining gate had appeared.

"It's a portal," gasped Han.

"So it seems," Kratos replied.

"Well," Vader said, "let's see what's on the other side."

"Right!" Eagerly, Lloyd rushed through. "Man, I'm so excited!"

"Just like always…" Kratos sighed.

With a flash of light, the group disappeared into the gleaming portal. All thoughts of the Death Star II were instantly forgotten.

_Meanwhile…_

Wedge Antilles had seen a lot of strange things in his life, but never had he seen this. He had been engaged in a heated battle with Imperial forces, with their giant space station, the Death Star II, randomly emitting enormous eradicator beams that vaporized whatever they touched. Then, there had been a giant whooshing noise and an enormous flash of light. Wedge squinted in the brightness. What in the stars was going on?

When the light had dissipated, there had been a simultaneous intake of breath on the Rebel comm.

The Death Star II had vanished. It had just…disappeared. There was a stunned silence, until one of the pilots finally said something.

"Holy Sith…what the hell just happened?"

_To Be Continued…_

A/N: Haha…left you with another cliffie. Hope you liked this chapter, and sorry for taking so long. I was caught up in another story, so this one got sort of put on the backburner. Also, I hope that everyone's OK with me making Vader into one of the good guys. I've sort of read too many fics where he turns back to Anakin, and most of them were actually pretty good. Just wondering, does anyone want me to actually take him out of the armor, or what? I'm heading more for the out-of-armor scheme, but I'd like to know what you think.

COMING UP: What's this? The Emperor is still alive? And what's with the disappearing Death Star? The action of Tales of Star Wars turns to everyone's favorite twin world system, SYMPHONIA!


	9. Now It's YOUR Turn To Be Confused

Chapter 9 is here, folks! Read, review, and enjoy!

**Disclaimer: Only the plot is mine. Everything else…belongs to someone else.**

Chapter 9

_Flashes of light, a blurring sensation, swirling, falling…_

Lloyd tumbled around in the portal, watching dumbstruck at the swirl of colors going by. All those colors…it was mind-blowing. He smiled as Colette floated by, equally in awe.

Up ahead, Luke was deep in thought, completely oblivious to the colors around him. It was obvious that Vader wanted forgiveness, but could Leia really give it to him? It had seemed as if the rest of the group had already been convinced that Vader was truly on their side (Han and Chewbacca remained a little suspicious, but had acted so far in good will towards the ex-Sith.) but it was his sister that gave him the deepest regrets. He already knew how much she had suffered at the hands of Vader, having been forced to watch her home planet being obliterated from space. There just had to be a way to prove their father's good intentions to her- he just had to FIND it. He sighed and looked up ahead, where a glowing white light had suddenly appeared.

"Hey! What's that?" Lloyd called.

"I don't know," said Colette, "but I think we're getting dragged into it…"

"Is that a good thing?" Lloyd's response apparently expressed what everyone else was feeling. Not even Kratos had ever been inside a portal, so the experience was new for everyone.

"Err…" Colette scrunched up her eyes. "Wow…it's really bright."

_Whoosh!_

With a noise that sounded like a dishwasher going through its paces, the light flashed brightly for a moment, and then swallowed up the travelers inside.

"Oof!" Lloyd landed with a thump on the ground stomach-first. Momentarily winded, he put a wary hand to his head and winced. "Ouch…that's going to leave a mark." Staggering to his feet, Lloyd looked around.

"Hey! Isn't this…?" Lloyd was sharply cut off as an intense flash of light burst and Colette came flying out of thin air, colliding painfully with Lloyd's chest.

"Oops, sorry about that Lloyd," Colette said sheepishly once she had gotten off of Lloyd and brushed herself off. "I just suddenly found myself flying out of the portal and there you were!"

"Ow…" was the only response.

Another bright flash and Leia came hurtling outwards. She landed with an "OOF!" as well, only just managing to get out of the way as Han landed right where her foot was a second ago, followed by Luke and Chewbacca, who both managed to land on top of a still unsteady Han. Vader came out next, managing to right himself mid-air and land heavily feet-first on the ground with a shockwave that blew down everyone else that had managed to get to their feet. Finally, Kratos burst out of the portal, quickly ejecting his wings and floating softly down to earth, amid scowls from the rest.

"Show-off…" muttered Han as Kratos retracted his wings.

"So…where are we?" asked Luke.

"Err…" Lloyd looked around, scratching his head. "Seems awfully familiar though…"

Colette gasped. "Oh! Look, Lloyd!" She pointed straight ahead. There in front of the group were the ruins of a tower. The Tower of Salvation.

"Hey! We're back where we started!" cried Lloyd. "Yippee! We're home! FINALLY! See, Dad? I told you we'd find a way back home!"

Kratos raised an eyebrow. "I don't remember you telling me that, but I suppose that it won't hurt to not say that to you and ruin your euphoria."

Luke looked around. Forests, plains, and a huge mountain range met his eyes. "So…anyone care to explain in detail where we are?"

"It would be rather obvious," rumbled Vader, "that we have been transported to whatever world THEY"-he pointed to Lloyd and Colette, who were currently dancing around- "are from."

"Point taken," replied Luke.

There was a sudden intake of breath from Leia. "Everyone…I don't think you should exactly be dancing right now."

"Huh…?" asked Lloyd, "what's wrong?"

"That," said Leia. She pointed high into the sky at a very large looking grey sphere.

"That's funny…" Colette mused. "I don't remember Symphonia having a moon that big."

"That's because Symphonia HAS no moon," said Kratos swiftly. "Which leaves the question of what IS that giant thing?"

"Oh no…" moaned Luke.

"How did it follow us here?" asked Vader.

"Oh #$!" said Han.

There hanging in the Symphonian sky was the Death Star II, as evil-looking and majestic as ever.

"Uh…care to explain what it is?" asked Lloyd, who was still clueless.

"It's the Death Star." Vader replied in a matter-of-factly voice. "It's the ultimate weapon, capable of wiping whole planets off the face of the galaxy."

"Wait!" cried Colette, "You mean that that big ball thingy belongs to the bad guys?"

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?" yelled Han, "THAT THING BELONGS TO THE #$ EMPIRE!"

Lloyd, Colette, and Kratos all jumped back, shocked.

"Then that means…" Lloyd began.

"The planet is in danger once more." finished Kratos.

"Oh no!" Colette cried.

There was a stunned silence.

"Well then, that just means that we're going to have to save it again," Lloyd said firmly. Han and Vader turned to him in shock.

"Kid- are you telling me that you think you can actually destroy that thing?" Han asked incredulously.

"The Empire will not allow the Death Star's weakness to be so exposed like last time," warned Vader. "Besides, how are you going to get up there and into it?"

Lloyd scratched his head. "I don't really know. All I know is that we have to destroy the Death Star or whatever. We can't just stand here and do nothing!"

"Lloyd is right," Kratos stated, "We have worked too hard to restore the twin worlds to their original state. We cannot allow all of our battles and sacrifices to be in vain."

"If you think it can be done, then we'll try our best to help you," said Luke. "After all, you helped us out. Now it's time we repay you. Right, everyone?" There was a murmur of agreement and Vader, Leia, Han, and Chewbacca all nodded.

"Alright! Thanks you guys!" Lloyd enthused. He gave a wild grin towards Kratos and Colette. "Now let's get started!"

"And what is it that you exactly plan to do now?" asked Kratos. "If you haven't noticed, we're down here and the Death Star is up there. I doubt that even the Eternal Sword can manage to carry us up there. Origin has no power over that particular dimension."

If any of the others were confused about what Kratos had just asked, they didn't show it.

"Yeah…" Luke said. "We, uh, need a plan."

"No problem! Come on, I already have an idea of where to start!" Lloyd was practically jumping up and down. "Colette, do we still have those wing packs?"

Colette realized what Lloyd wanted to do. "Of course!" She pulled out the wing packs and handed them over to Lloyd.

"What are you going to do with that?" Han asked with a suspicious glance.

"This!" Lloyd triggered the wing packs and out sprung eight Rhearids. The Star Wars crew all jumped back at the sight of huge machines appearing from one tiny little pack.

Han whistled. "Now that's impressive."

"Come on!" Lloyd yelled excitedly. "Get on!" He jumped aboard one and started the mana engine. "Let's gooooo!" Following suit, the others grabbed a Rhearid and flew off after Lloyd.

"So, Lloyd, where exactly do you plan to go now?" asked Kratos.

"Uh…I was thinking Altamira. Regal can probably figure out where the Professor and Genis are right now, and I'm sure Zelos and Sheena can easily meet up with us there after I contact them all."

"Mm…I see."

"This is great, Lloyd! We'll be able to see all of our friends!" Lloyd smiled. This was great! No more guys in white suits coming after him, no bleak looking ships...suddenly, that journey to get all the exspheres seemed rather pleasant after what he had just gone through.

"Alright guys, we're coming in on the city of Altamira! It's right over there!" Lloyd yelled over the wind. He pointed at a lone city that towered over the surrounding area. "Just follow me!" Lloyd yanked on the thrusters and began his descent to Altamira. After touching down, he retracted the Rhearid and looked up into the sky for his friends.

Colette seemed to be doing ok, as was Kratos, although he looked as if he would rather have liked using his wings over the machine. Lloyd turned and checked on how the others were handling the Rhearids. Luke was making his way down, with Han and Leia right behind him. They all seemed to be decent flyers. However, it was Vader that caught his eye. The black-armored man, despite his obviously heavy body shell, was taking his time going down, preferring to pull his Rhearid into steep dives and then pull out, body rolling this way and that. It was obvious that the man was a born pilot. Lloyd watched in awe as Vader spiraled down and then lightly touched ground, dismounting almost jauntily.

"Mm…these things fly well. I wish the Imperial TIE fighters had that much mobility." Vader noted.

"Well, I wouldn't," Han announced. "Then the Imps would just be way too damn hard to kill."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Come on, you two, Lloyd's already inside." They hurried to catch up with the red-wearing swordsman, who was dashing eagerly towards a giant office building.

Inside, there was an immediate whoosh from the air conditioner, and the noise of communicators ringing and people yelling filled the air. Lloyd ran up to the front desk.

"Hello, welcome to the Lazereno Company."

"Hi! I'd like to see President Bryant please."

"Do you have an appointment with the President?" The clerk seemed VERY bored- his eyes kept roving to somewhere other than Lloyd, especially hooking onto the fact that a huge ebon giant was now standing in the lobby.

"Er…well, we don't really have an appointment but…you could just say that-"

"Then I'm sorry sir but I can't really help you. Please come again when you have an appointment." The man turned to help another visitor, mumbling under his breath something about "annoying youth these days…" and "who would wear all black in the summer". Lloyd sighed. He reached over and tapped the clerk on the shoulder.

"What? Is there- oh you. What do you want NOW?"

"Look- we're old friends of Regal, and we really need to see him so-"

"I'm sorry sir but you need an appointment. We simply cannot allow young hotheads to go running around bothering the President." The clerk said sarcastically. This boy, a friend of the President? Hah! What a farce.

"Young hotheads? Anyone I know?" asked a deep voice. The clerk turned in shock.

"Mr. President! Oh, I am so sorry! You see, there was this young man that…" But Regal had already noticed Lloyd.

"Lloyd Irving! It's been a while! Dropping to visit, eh?"

"Yeah. Hey- it certainly has been a while, Regal. You've changed." It was true. Although Regal still had his long mane of blue hair, which was slightly less messy that before, he no longer had shackles binding his hands.

"Mm…yes. I've decided that I need to let go of the past and move forwards a little bit. Otherwise, who would know what would happen to the company. Ah- is that Miss Brunel and Kratos I see behind you?"

"Yup!" Colette waved and Kratos gave a slight nod. Regal then noticed Han, Luke, Leia, Vader, and Chewbacca, all of which were drawing stares from passerby.

"And I see you've brought OTHER friends too. Well, you certainly have been busy. Exsphere expedition going alright?"

"Well, not exactly. You see Regal, there's something I need to tell you about…can we come up to your office? I really don't want anyone suspicious to hear this."

Regal nodded. "That's fine with me. I'll see you up there." He walked back to the elevator and disappeared.

"OK." Lloyd went over to the rest of the group. "Guys- we're going up into Regal's office to discuss the Death Star. If you don't feel like going into a meeting, you're free to go explore Altamira."

"It's OK," said Luke. "I think all of us need to hear what we're going to do next. And this Regal fellow seems rather interesting." There was a murmur of agreement from the others.

"Gotcha. Let's go! We can't keep him waiting for too long." Piling into the cramped elevator, Lloyd hit the button for "President's Office" and up they went. Finally, the elevator ground to a halt and the doors flew open. They stepped out into a spacious room with plenty of chairs, one of which currently held Regal.

"Sit down. I'm sure you've got a lot to talk about, if you needed a private audience." Once everyone was settled in, Regal cleared his throat.

"Now, I want to know exactly what is going on."

_Meanwhile…_

"Milord, we are in orbit around Symphonia. What do you want us to do next?"

"Kekeke…for now we will wait. I will tell you when to begin deployment."

"Yes, milord!" The echoing footsteps bounced from wall to wall as the commander left the vast chamber.

"Kekeke…my foolish apprentice. You have shown your true colors. Mm...the clone certainly proved that."

The figure paused, obviously deliberating.

"And without those outsiders, I would have NEVER have learned of this world, the perfect location for the command center of the Empire…remote, not too populated…it is perfect for deceiving the Alliance. They would never think to look into the most remote reaches of our galaxy. Soon this universe will belong to me!"

Emperor Palpatine threw back his head and laughed.

_To Be Continued…_

A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update. It's been rather hard, with all this school work and stuff. Hope you liked this chapter! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

COMING UP: The ToS crew reunites, and Vader gets the scare of his life in the form of everyone's favorite mad Professor!


	10. Look Out! Here Comes Raine!

I apologize if my wayward plot is making any of you confused to the extreme. Don't worry- it'll all tie up together in the end- hopefully.

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything except for the plot line.**

Chapter 10

"So that's what happened." Regal sat back in his chair and laced his fingers together, deep in thought.

Lloyd nodded. "Yeah. I don't really know how we're going to get rid of that thing, but I do know that I can't do this alone."

"Indeed. We are going to need to bring back the old crew. Hopefully, once we have our friends together again, we can more easily come up with a plan. I'm sure Raine will have much to say on the subject," Regal added laughingly. Kratos snorted.

"So what's the plan?" asked Han. "Because I sure as hell don't want to just keep sitting around waiting for the world to end."

Kratos gave him a look of exasperation. "Have you been paying attention at all to what we have discussed in the past hour?"

"Not really. I'm more of an action man."

"I noticed." Kratos said with a hint of disdain in his voice.

"So do you need to me to contact everyone?" Regal asked Lloyd.

"Yeah. I think it'll be easy to find Sheena and Zelos, but I don't know where the Professor and Genis are at the moment."

"Hmmm…the last I remember, they told me that they were somewhere near Meltokio."

"Oh."

"Yes…it should be fairly easy to get in touch if I can connect with some of my friends and ask about them."

"Alright. We'll go ahead and explore Altamira while you get in touch."

"Right. Have fun. I should have them here by six in the evening." With a cheery wave, Regal walked over to his desk and picked up the comm. "George? It's Regal. I need to get in touch with the king…"

Lloyd walked out back into the elevator, the others following. They rode back down to the lobby and then exited the Lazereno Company building, quickly catching the next ferry out.

"So, what do you guys wanna do?" Lloyd asked.

"Let's go to the amusement park! We didn't get enough time to explore it the last time we were here Lloyd. And look! Barely anyone's here! It's perfect!" Colette declared.

"I'm up for it." Lloyd said. "You guys okay with that?"

Luke, Han, Chewbacca, and Leia all nodded.

"And…Dad?"

Kratos shook his head. "I'm sorry Lloyd, but I have some other things that I must take care of."

"Like what, huh?"

"That does not concern you."

"That's just Kratos-talk for 'I don't want to tell you so bug off'," Lloyd muttered. He turned to Vader.

"Vader?"

"I am not going to be joining you either. I…am not the greatest fan of amusement parks."

"Oh. Bummer for you. Well, uh, we'll meet you at six back at Regal's office. Come on, guys!" Lloyd as usual dashed off with Colette right behind him. Luke gave his father one last glance before hurrying off to rejoin with Lloyd and Colette. The rest of the group followed suit, leaving Kratos and Vader behind.

"I take it there you have no other things to take care of," Vader remarked.

"Mmph…Lloyd would not be able to understand the reasons behind my refusal if I told him the truth."

"And that reason being…?"

"It has something to do with a subject that I would not like to discuss right now."

"I see."

Kratos walked off towards the hotel. He stopped and then turned to Vader.

"Since it seems like neither of us will have anything to do for probably the next hour or two, would you…like to take a walk?"

"That seems…fine with me," came the mechanical response.

"Come." Kratos motioned and then headed off again. Vader quickly caught up and stepped into stride with the red-haired man.

"So…what really made you change back to the side of good?"

"What?"

"I still have my suspicious. I am afraid that I am not an easy man to convince. Your sudden change of heart was indeed rather shocking. How does a man who previously had told his son that he will kill him suddenly decide to save him from the fate he so earlier promised him?"

Silence from Vader came for about a minute. Then, the ex-Sith responded.

"I suppose it was like shutters being opened up. I was blinded by my duty as a Sith at the beginning of the duel. Somehow, Luke managed to get through that barrier and find the last part of his father that was truly remaining. I am still unsure myself of why it took me so long to force through those barriers. Or why Luke was able to affect me like that."

"Hmmm…from what I have observed about him, he seems to have the ability to affect people around him very well."

"I have noticed that about Lloyd too. There is something about him that makes him so likeable."

"Yes. Lloyd is rather charismatic, although he doesn't really know it—which is a good thing, I suppose."

"Indeed."

They walked in silence for about another two minutes until Vader spoke up.

"The girl…Colette—I've noticed that she has angel wings. You do as well. Are you both related?"

"No. We are not. She is born of a certain mana lineage, a certain blood line, which is the Mana Lineage. I am just a regular man who many years ago gave up his humanity because of this"—he pointed to the Cruxis Crystal—"crystal. Because of its heightened effects on the human body, I became…immortal. All of my senses and such were elevated so high that they were no longer human. That is how I gained these so-called angelic powers."

"I see. So there really is no one race of true angels."

"No. Not on Symphonia. Although I have the characteristics of an angel, I am not one. The proper title would be an angelic being."

"Ah."

They continued in this vein for some time until finally Kratos noted that it was almost time to regroup at the Lazereno Company and that Lloyd would be worrying if neither one of them showed up. Walking swiftly, the two reentered the building and made their way up to Regal's office, finding that everyone was already there, including Raine, Genis, Sheena, and Zelos. Dropping into one of the armchairs, Vader and Kratos turned their attention to Lloyd, who had been clearly interrupted while giving out introductions. Lloyd gave them both a glare and then cleared his throat.

"Ahem." Silence except for the far corner, in which Zelos and Sheena were situated. Lloyd glared daggers at the two of them and then cleared his throat a little louder.

"AHEM!"

"Hm…? Oh! Lloyd! Sorry about that. My exotic orchid here was just--"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

"Calm down, Sheena. I thought you liked orchids."

"Yeah, well, I don't like being CALLED one!"

"Then how about my exotic daffodil…?"

"Zelos, _I'm warning you_." Sheena pulled out a card and waved it threateningly in his face.

"Uh…ok." The two quieted down.

Lloyd gave a sigh of relief. "Alright, now that everyone's finally arrived"-another glare at Kratos and Vader-"we can get down to the problem. That problem is that there's this giant space station thingy called the Death Star hanging right over our heads. It's threatening Symphonia and the rest of the galaxy. We need to do something about it."

"We sure do…" muttered Han.

"I need some ideas on how we're going to destroy it. I was thinking the Eternal Sword, since then we can get up into the Death Star and destroy it, but I was wondering what you guys think."

"Lloyd- the Eternal Sword can't connect with the Death Star. Origin doesn't know how to get into a building that he's never even heard of. In fact, I think the Eternal Sword can only move between Symphonia and Derris Kharlan." Genis said.

Lloyd, Colette, and Kratos winced at the words "Derris Kharlan."

"Genis is right," added Sheena, "Where in the world did this Death Star come from any way? It sure isn't from here. I think whoever's world it's from should handle this. We don't even know how the damn thing works."

Luke spoke up. "It's from our galaxy. Somehow, the Emperor managed to transport himself and the Death Star here out of wherever it was, which I think was last off of Endor, to here, which is near the Outer Rim."

He got about five confused looks.

"Look, Luke, or whatever your name is, _we don't know what the hell you're talking about. _So how about educating us on this 'Emperor' dude and all that other stuff, okay?" Zelos demanded.

"We don't have the time for that," Vader rumbled. "Every second we waste talking the Emperor spends deploying his troops down onto this world."

"Why would he do that?" asked Raine, who was now staring fixedly at Vader with the look of a shark that had just spotted its lunch.

"Because I believe the Emperor intends to use this world as his 'base'. He needs someplace that the Alliance will never find. Also- he knows that Luke is here and that I am here."

"And why would this Emperor care that you were here?" asked Sheena.

"He wants the power that Luke and I have. He wants to twist both of us into his followers. He wants his right-hand man back."

Han gave Luke a look that asked "what is he talking about?"

"I see…" said Raine, "So as long as you are on this world the Emperor will continue to stay here?"

"Partially. He is not here just for us. I have already stated that he needs a base of operations from which he can strike his enemies unseen. No one would think of looking for a world that is only a legend."

"A legend?" asked Presea, who was speaking for the first time in the conversation.

"Yes- in the rest of the galaxy, this world is a legend- a world that only exists in fairy tales." Leia responded.

"That's…awful," said Colette, "You mean that no one knows we exist?"

"I think some people know that Symphonia exists, like Mon Mothma," Leia said, "But they only know the twin worlds of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. I think she once told me about them. No one knows that the two have since combined."

"So they'll never know that this world is…" Presea trailed off.

"-going to fight back." finished Lloyd.

"What?" Everyone stared.

"You heard me. No one's going to help us unless we help ourselves! Our only choice is to fight back. Dwarven Vow #1: Let's all work together for a peaceful world!" Lloyd declared with a determined expression.

"Dwarven...?" mouthed Leia.

"Sounds good to me," said Han, "I like a man with a plan." Chewbacca growled in agreement. Raine began staring at the Wookie with a hungry expression.

"Uh oh…" Genis muttered to no one in particular, "Raine's going psycho again…"

"What?" Luke asked with a confused look.

"My sister- Raine- she's obsessed with 'discoveries' and science. And she gets sort of scary when she gets started on her manias…" Genis warned.

"Uh…really?"

"Yeah. Did you see that look she was giving that guy in black?"

"You mean my dad?"

"Huh?"

"Oh- uh…you mean that guy right there?"

"Yeah."

"Oh." _Watch yourself Father…_ Luke said mentally.

"So how are we going to fight back?" asked Sheena. "Rhearids can't reach that high- that I know."

There was a silence as everyone contemplated the answer.

"I've got it!" exclaimed Raine. "We can use the Mana Cannon!"

"The Mana Cannon?" asked Vader.

"Yes- it's also known as 'Thor's Hammer'. It was developed during the Ancient Wars…" Raine launched into a long-winded explanation of the Mana Cannon.

"Alright, alright," Genis said, "Just get to the point sis."

Raine looked insulted. "The point is- I'm sure the Mana Cannon can reach the Death Star. If we just use a larger amount of mana than before to power it up, then we can hit it. Hopefully, that should do some damage."

"And then what?" asked Leia. "One hit alone will not take that monstrosity down. And I'm not too sure about this mana thing. What is it?"

Raine began talking faster and faster, clearly VERY excited and clearly not paying any attention to anyone else. "The mana residue should be enough of a trail for Origin to follow. We can then use the Eternal Sword and send everyone into the Death Star and destroy it from the inside!" She gave a triumphant glower.

"Uh oh…" muttered all the Symphonians.

"There goes my sis…always self-destructing stuff…" Genis sighed

"Just like those human ranches, remember?" added Sheena.

All the Symphonians shuddered except for Presea at the memories.

"What are they talking about?" Han whispered to Luke.

"I have no idea…" Luke whispered back.

"So are we going to go with the Super-Ultra-Gorgeous-Beauty-of-a-Professor's plan?" asked Zelos, who promptly got punched in the face by Sheena.

"Yeah, I think so." Lloyd said.

"The risk rate is about 56, but if all goes to plan it should work," stated Presea.

"Great job Professor!" beamed Colette.

"Mmph…" said Kratos.

Luke nodded. "If you guys think it'll work, I'll go with it. I can't really come up with anything myself. My comm's out, so we couldn't communicate with the Alliance anyway."

There was a general tone of agreement from everyone else.

"Right! The Professor's plan it is!" Lloyd announced.

"Good! Is the meeting adjourned?" asked Raine who was now bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Adjourned? Uh…what's that mean?" asked Lloyd.

"It means ended," said Genis in a long-suffering voice.

"Oh- uh…Meeting adjourned. Is that right?" Lloyd asked.

"Yes…" sighed Genis.

Immediately, Raine jumped for the nearest curiosity- Vader, who was too taken by surprise to move out of the way.

"Wow! I absolutely MUST investigate this! Hmm…this metal- it's like none other I've ever seen! And it's not even painted- it's naturally black! Oh, this is MARVELOUS!" Raine gave a wild shriek of laughter. Vader could only stand there helplessly as the Mad Professor flirted around him, making the most absurd comments.

"Hmmm…the helmet…" With a precisely placed fist, she gave a firm knock on the rim of the helmet, bringing an "OUCH!" from Vader.

"There's a lot of gear in here…how in the world do you survive without suffocating?"

"This gear KEEPS me from suffocating. My lungs don't work on their own," growled a now rather irate Vader. "AND STOP LAUGHING OVER THERE!" The laughing only increased from everyone else, except for Kratos and Presea, both of which looked unperturbed.

"They DON'T? WOW! The medical hubris…how in the world do you people survive without healing magic?" Raine was now poking his breastplate.

"Prosthetics," Luke put it. "I have one. Father has about four."

"Prosthetics? Fake limbs? WOW! They haven't used those since the Ancient War! I really must see those…" Raine stopped for a moment to see which of Vader's arms she wanted to see.

"Thank you VERY much, Luke…" Vader scowled under the helmet.

"I think the right one will do. Now let's see…how do we detach this…?" Raine began peeling off the Dark Lord's glove.

"STOP!" roared Vader. It had stretched a little too much past the ex-Sith's breaking point. With a little help from the Force, he shoved Raine off of him and into a wall.

"AMAZING! What kind of power was that?" Raine came back with renewed vigor.

"Oh great…" Vader moaned.

"That's very interesting. You're more metal than human and yet you still can tap into extreme mental powers. I wonder what allows that…" Raine thought out loud.

Then, Chewbacca gave a laughing bark.

"Hmm? OH!" Vader heaved a sigh of relief as Raine went tearing after the Wookie, who growled menacingly at the half-elven woman.

"Uh, well, never mind about that…" Raine backed away from the Wookie as Chewbacca pulled out a nasty looking weapon. "But then again…"

With the speed of a cat, the Professor drew her rod and whacked Chewbacca across the head, laying the warrior out flat.

"Hah! Now I can investigate…" There was a stunned silence except for Genis was shaking his head and muttering, "Why me…"

A couple minutes later, however, the mad Wookie awoke and scared Raine off, who went back to examining Vader, who drew his lightsaber.

"Not this time…" he warned threateningly.

"I will not be discouraged," declared Raine. She stopped and then held up her rod, chanting something.

"What in the…?" Han asked.

"PHOTON!"

Vader swore as he tried to dodge. Unfortunately, the armor prevented him from moving fast enough, causing the light magic to hit him head on. "OOF!" Vader reeled, which gave Raine enough time to use that same cat-like grace and steal an arm.

"What in the--!" Luke jumped as Raine went running by with his father's right arm.

"YOU-!" Vader roared, tapping into his Force powers once more. Raine felt herself being lifted up. Suddenly, the air was cut off from her throat.

"SIS!" yelled Genis. "What are you doing?" He pulled out his kendama.

"I. Will. Not. Be. Treated. Like. Some. Experiment." Vader rumbled in her face. He released her, sending her plummeting back down to the ground, where she collapsed into a heap.

"Raine!" Genis ran over to his sister's side, who was still clutching Vader's arm. She sat up.

"Hmmm…this is a very old make. I've never seen it before…it's not very good in any case." (Genis slapped his hand to his face and muttered, "Always gotta be studying _something_…")

"What?" Vader asked in surprise. "Those are supposed to be the best in…"

"Well, it's definitely not an Ancient War make. It's too heavy. Whoever fitted you with this didn't choose a very good model."

"And how old are the Ancient War models? Ten years old?"

"4000."

"What?"

"Wait a minute," Leia cut in, "that doesn't make sense. Why would the Emperor's right-hand man have out-dated gear?"

"I don't know," said Raine. "In any case, there's no way you'll be able to withstand heavy assault for very long now. This is all battered up. It would have shut down in another month or two anyway. What have you been doing?"

"Battling." Vader replied, looking at Kratos, who smirked. "So what would you have me do? Find another model?"

"No. No one makes prosthetics anymore on Symphonia. I doubt there's even someone who knows about them. No…we'll have to do some regenerative processes on you instead."

"What?" Vader asked. He couldn't have heard…

Raine stood up. "I'm going to have to regenerate your body parts. We're going to get rid of that suit."

_To Be Continued…_

A/N: Haha! Sorry, but the chapter was getting too long and I figured this would be a good stopping point. Review! I apologize for any OOCness.

COMING UP:

Well, we all know what's coming…Raine uses her healing powers in ways never seen before! Also look for the first action scenes in the battle for Symphonia!


	11. Regeneration

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, nor do I own Star Wars. **

Chapter 11

"What?" Vader gasped.

"Must I repeat myself? I said that I was going to get you out of that suit." Raine said with a bored expression as she rummaged through her pack.

"But…why?"

"Two reasons- one, I think getting you out of the suit will be much better for your fighting- not as much bulk, I mean. Also, that breathing really informs people of where you are. Two, I want to study that suit- and with you in it, it makes it very difficult." Raine recited.

Genis groaned when he heard reason number two. "Typical…" he moaned. Raine smacked him on the back of the head, bringing a yelp from the half-elf mage.

"But Professor, how are you going to regentirate or whatever him?" asked Lloyd.

"It's _regenerate_…" Genis muttered.

Raine stood up, pack still in grasp. "Well, the formula is very complex. However, I recently discovered a theory in which the Summon Spirits are combined with a mixture of various healing items that can stimulate the body's natural healing abilities and jumpstart the asexual reproduction of body cells in mass proportions. By doing so, theoretically, the healer in question could then shape the cells into the form that he or she wanted to by manipulating the person's mana flow into the assumed shape, thus regenerating the said body part…" she finished.

"I lost you at the formula part." Lloyd said dazedly.

"That was…informative…" said Leia, who in reality had lost the Professor at around the "asexual reproduction" part.

"Could you use this to make body parts bigger?" asked Zelos innocently.

"Theoretically, maybe," Raine informed him. "I suppose if you could somehow force the skin to increase with it, then yes…why do you ask?"

"Well, just for some personal research," replied Zelos. He stole a furtive glance at Sheena, who jumped up in outrage.

"ZELOS YOU PERVERT! YOU WERE THINKING ABOUT INCREASING THAT?" Sheena swiftly began to pummel Zelos to the ground, amidst his attempts to soothe her now incited wrath.

"So what does this formula need" asked Luke over the din Sheena and Zelos were making.

"Well, I had prepared for this beforehand, as I was going to perform this experiment on someone else. However, his need was greater"-she pointed at Vader- "so I decided to use him as my test subject."

"I'm not a test subject…" Vader growled.

"Yes, yes, well…what is your name again?"

"Vader," snapped the ex-Sith.

"Well, Vader- this IS an experiment, although I'm sure it will work, and as such, you are the tester."

"So, uh…what's in it?" asked Luke.

"Oh- I'm sorry- did I forget to answer you? Well, the formula calls for two Summon Spirits- Maxwell, the Summon Spirit of Matter and Birth, and Origin, the King of Summon Spirits. However, under circumstances, we will also need Undine, Spirit of Water, in order to help him sustain breathing. The formula also calls for the Unicorn Horn and a mana fragment."

"And just how did you manage to get a mana fragment? Derris-Kharlan was not available for that," Kratos remarked.

"I simply took another one while we were infiltrating Welgaiea for the Final Battle," Raine replied. "The place was deserted, so it was rather easy."

"I see," Kratos said.

"Why do you need Origin?" Lloyd asked.

"Using Origin's power, I can control the mana flow and make sure that it cannot run loose," Raine replied. "Now, I'm going to need somewhere to do this…"

"Already done," Regal informed. "I had George prepare a room for us. It's on the second floor, next to the archives."

"Right. Come now," Raine told Vader, "Let's get this started!" She rubbed her hands together wickedly.

Vader sighed and then got up from his seat. "I hope you know what you're doing…"

"Don't worry- I actually am very talented in the healing arts. You will have nothing to fear. I trust the source I got this from. Oh- wait- Lloyd- can you peel Sheena off Zelos for me? I need her to summon, and I'm sure she can't do it while she's on the ground." Raine then turned smartly on her heel and headed into the elevator, Vader right behind her.

"Er…" Lloyd walked up to the fighting pair and nervously cleared his throat. "Ah…Sheena…?"

Sheena looked up. "Lloyd, can't you see I'm sort of busy?" Turning she gave another screech and slapped Zelos hard on the cheek.

"Well, uh, the Professor needs you because she, uh, needs to use some of the Summon Spirits."

"Oh really?"

"Uh…yeah."

Sheena got up off of Zelos. "It looks like you're off the hook, you nasty pervert." Zelos gave a weak smile.

"Come on, Lloyd- let's go." Grabbing the protesting Lloyd by his collar, Sheena dragged him into the elevator and pressed the button for the second floor. The doors shut and the familiar _whoosh _of air went by before the small car shuddered to a stop and let out a slight ding to alert them of their arrival before the doors opened once more with a hiss.

What greeted them was an eerie sight. Vader was on a quite large table, apparently unconscious. Raine meanwhile was flexing her fingers smoothly before reaching for her staff. The mana fragment and unicorn horn were lying on a tray beside her.

"Ah! You're here! I've already sedated him and removed all the prosthetics save his mask and breastplate, as that seems to be the only sections that really keep him alive."

It was rather creepy to see a man lying on a table with no limbs whatsoever. The limbs in question were currently lying in an unceremonious heap in a corner. Raine winked before whispering excitedly, "I'll study them later!"

Sheena nodded as she tried to keep her stomach under control. "So- who do you need me to summon?"

"I need Maxwell, Origin, and Undine. It might be wise to summon Undine first because then I can remove the mask and breastplate if you can get Undine to create an air bubble around him. Then we will get to the mana-shaping."

"Right." Sheena pulled out her cards and held them before her.

"I summon you! Come! **Undine!**" In a swirl of blue light, the Water Spirit appeared before Sheena.

"What is your bidding?" The Spirit asked in a calm voice.

"I need you to put an air bubble around that…guy on the table."

"As you wish." Undine glowed brightly as a giant transparent bubble bloomed around Vader's prone form.

"The air bubble is there. Is that all you need?"

"Yes." In another swirl, Undine disappeared.

"Excellent!" Raine exclaimed. "Now to remove that mask…" With experienced hands, she slipped off the mask, revealing the scarred and pale face of Anakin Skywalker.

"Ew…" said Sheena to no one in particular, "it looks like he hasn't seen the sun in about a hundred years."

Raine then slipped off the breastplate, throwing along with the rest of the armor into the same corner of the room with a thud.

"Alright, now we need Origin and Maxwell."

"Gotcha." Another couple chants, and the two Summon Spirits appeared. Sheena glanced at Lloyd.

"Remember- Origin answers to _you_, Lloyd, since you have the Eternal Sword. I can't tell him what to do."

"OK…" Lloyd turned to face Origin, who was regarding him with a solemn face.

"Lloyd…we meet once again."

"Yeah…er…the Professor's trying to do this thing called mana-shaping and she needs your help to control it."

"I see. Who is this Professor?"

Raine waved merrily.

"Is this what you want me to do, Lloyd? To help her with her task?"

"Yes. A friend needs our help."

Meanwhile, Sheena was talking to Maxwell.

"I need you to summon the mana we need to re-create this man's limbs."

"Ho ho ho! You only need ask!"

"Alright," called Raine, Unicorn Horn in hand, "I'm ready to begin!"

"NOW!" yelled Sheena and Lloyd.

The two Summon Spirits flared as a bright light filled the room. There was a high-pitched whistle, not unlike the sound of a person cutting through steel, resounding through the room.

"Steady there, Maxwell- I don't want too much mana. Origin- can you control that tendril right there?" Raine was engulfed in the light, which Sheena and Lloyd took to be the raw mana summoned by Maxwell.

"You think she can do it?" Sheena whispered.

"Yeah…we have to trust her at any rate, right?"

The seconds ticked by. Back in the conference room, the tension was rising like a hot air balloon. Luke was pacing back and forth with no apparent intention of stopping. Walking quietly, Leia walked up to her twin and gently put a hand on his shoulder.

"Luke…what's wrong?"

"It's nothing. I'm just having really weird feelings that something is going to go wrong."

"Well, we have to hope that nothing will, right? For…his sake." Leia could not bring herself to say "Father".

"Leia- I just found him. I don't want him to die."

"He won't," called a cheery voice in the background.

The twins whirled around. "What?" asked Leia.

Colette gave a wide smile. "The Professor will fix him up- trust me. I can feel it."

"Why are you so sure?" Luke still looked wary.

"Oh…it's a feeling I guess."

"Trust our pretty Colette to always be upbeat," remarked Zelos.

"If you say so…"

_/Break/_

"Your Majesty! All troops are ready for deployment!"

"Excellent, Commander. Begin deployment immediately. Give orders to destroy anyone who opposes us. Target the large cities first."

"Your orders will be followed out, Your Majesty!"

The metallic clank of hundreds of thousands boots simultaneously hitting the ground.

And in the background, an old man laughed and laughed.

_/Break/_

"Almost there…I'm almost there…" Using the Unicorn Horn, Raine guided the mana into the shape she wanted. "Oh- Origin- check the fingers will you?"

The Spirit glided over Vader's right arm, checking to make sure that there were no defects with the newly created arm. It was still glowing white with mana.

"Ho ho ho! Legs complete, Miss Sage!"

"Thanks, Maxwell."

Raine sighed and then straightened up, smiling with satisfaction. Anakin Skywalker was now complete. Except…for one last thing.

"Well, guys. Who here thinks he needs some hair?"

"Is that what you want next, Raine?" Origin's deep voice asked.

"Yes. Uh…let's see…color…hm…make it…dark blond. Yes- dark blond. Not too yellow, not too brown. And length…hmm…make it shoulder length. Wavy, too. Yes, that sounds right." Unbeknownst to Raine, she was voicing exactly what Anakin's hair had been like. Of course, that was only because his Force presence was using a couple of Jedi mind tricks on her.

In a couple of minutes, the hair was complete.

"Ho ho HO! Excellent work to all!" cackled Maxwell.

"Indeed," observed Origin.

"Boltzman- you ARE a genius!" exclaimed Raine as she placed a sheet over Anakin's body. "Now to find him some clothes…hm…I'll ask Regal about that."

She walked out of the room, staff in hand.

"Uh…" Sheena and Lloyd looked at each other.

"Oh- Sheena- I'm finished with the Summon Spirits." Raine's voice called from behind the elevator doors.

"Oh- right." With a flash, both Origin and Maxwell disappeared.

Back in the conference room, Luke was about to go find Vader when a very tired looking Professor walked into the room.

"I finished. It worked! Boltzman's theory DID work! YES! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Everyone jumped out of their seats and onto their feet.

"It worked?" asked Han in disbelief.

Raine looked affronted. "That's what I've been saying all this time! Weren't you listening?"

"So my father…is he…?" Luke began.

"He's upstairs. Whoa! Hold on a minute"- she blocked the elevator door- "I still have to find him some clothes before I let all of you in there."

"Clothes? Oh…" Colette blushed.

"There should be some extra clothes in room 5 on floor 2." Presea said flatly. "It's all Regal's stuff. Do you mind, Regal?"

"Not at all. Let me go get them. Come on, Raine." The two disappeared back into the elevator.

Luke sat back down with a sigh. His anxiousness was mounting, and it wasn't particularly calming. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. Perhaps meditating would help ease the wait…

"SIR! MR. PRESIDENT!" A sweaty looking and much disheveled man burst into the room. He looked around wildly.

"MR. PRESIDENT!"

"-is doing something at the moment," replied Presea.

"Oh! Miss Presea…"

"Is something the matter?" asked the girl.

"Something most is the matter! These funny guys in white armor are walking around shooting everything that moves!"

"WHAT?" Leia exclaimed. "Stormtroopers? Here?"

"What?" Luke was jolted out of his meditation. "Stormtroopers?"

"I don't care WHAT you call them! It's what they're doing that matters! MR. PRESIDENT!" The man ran out of the room, calling for Regal.

Everyone looked at each other.

"I think our assistance is required," remarked Presea. She strode over to the fireplace, over which was placed a large axe.

"She can't really carry that, can she?" asked Han. Chewbacca voiced his doubt.

Genis grinned as Presea easily lifted the axe off of its stand.

"She can."

"Sith!" Han said.

Luke grabbed his lightsaber and ignited it. "Alright. Leia, Han, Chewie, Kratos, and I are going to help out. You guys stay here."

"No way!" yelled Genis. "You guys are nuts! We can fight too, you know."

"Yes, but- OUCH!" Luke's rebuttal was cut off as Genis whacked him on the head with his kendama.

"NO BUTS! We're helping you whether you like it or not!" Genis cried fiercely.

"I think it would be most wise to allow Genis to fight," said Kratos, smiling.

"See? Kratos knows that we can help!" said Colette.

"100 victory assured. They will be no match for us," stated Presea.

"Come ON," said Zelos, a wicked grin creeping over his face, "with THIS pretty face on your side? Total victory, people!"

"LET'S GO!" Genis dashed out the door with Zelos, Presea, and Colette right behind him.

Kratos sighed. "Are you going to follow, Luke?"

Luke was still in shock that he had been whacked with a ball on a stick.

"They're going to get themselves killed…" Leia said.

Just then, a loud cry of "**_EXPLOSION_**!" was heard before the room's windows flared with red light.

"We should go before they win the entire battle for us," observed Kratos. He ran for the elevator, with the rest in tow.

Seconds after the five had left, Raine and Regal appeared in Vader's room with the clothes. Sheena and Lloyd had since left; George had come in and told them what was going on.

"Vader…?" asked Raine in a soft voice.

"What's going on…" murmured a sleepy baritone.

"Well, I finished regenerating all your body parts, so you're back to fully human. I just decided to bring you some clothes…" Raine told him.

"Did you really?" asked the voice, now sounding slightly amused.

"The clothes are all mine," said Regal, "but you can use them for as long as you want. Now, Raine- we have a battle to attend to…"

"Yes, indeed." The two disappeared out of the room, leaving Vader alone with the clothes.

Vader looked down. "I…it's _true…_" He stretched his arms and watched as his hand flexed smoothly when he told it to.

"I even have hair…wow, this is GREAT!"

Reaching down, Vader rummaged through the pile of clothes. Swiftly dressing, he walked over to the pile of armor, grimacing at it.

"Now, for my lightsaber…" Finding the small hilt, Vader clipped it to his belt and then strode out the door.

"Let's see…where is that battle they were talking about…?"

Anakin Skywalker was back in action.

_To Be Continued…_

A/N: Yes, I left off with Anakin getting ready to jump into battle, because otherwise, this chapter would have blown the roof! I hope all of you are satisfied with Raine's method of regenerating Vader. (Asexual reproduction? Where did THAT come from, hmm?) It took me a while to write it all out. By the way, the story will get significantly bloodier and maybe a tad bit darker in the next chapters.

COMING UP:

Anakin Skywalker lives! The question is…does he fully remember what it's like to be human over machine? Meanwhile…the Empire's forces are attacking Meltokio...to much success, until- is that Yuan?


	12. The Stage is Set

Alright, here is Chapter 12. Many reviewers have asked if Anakin appears "old." In the original Star Wars films, he does appear to be rather old, but if you use a time line, you'll find that Anakin is really about forty…three, give or take. Yes, I understand how shocking that is, but that's what happens when you live in a suit without sunlight for twenty years.

**Disclaimer: I do not own either of the franchises that are represented in this fic.**

Chapter 12

The capital of Tethe'alla was in flames. With most of the city taken over by the stormtroopers, the rest of the citizenry that was still alive made for the castle. Of course, the King and Princess Hilda had long been evacuated, but it was still a comforting notion to say that their leader was still alive to protect them.

A lone figure stepped into the ruination of the city gates. He sighed as one of his lackeys walked up to him to give a status report.

"Lord Yuan! The city has been completely overtaken! The remaining citizenry have gathered at the castle. His Majesty and the Princess have already been escorted. What is our next move?"

"Whatever's left. Attack."

"Yes, sir." The man scuttled away to relay the order.

Yuan heaved another theatrical sigh. "Why must I always be the one to clean up your messes, Tethe'alla?" Tossing aside his cloak, Yuan unsheathed the Double Saber and twirled it experimentally.

The sound of hob nail boots striking the pavement grew louder as the massive stormtrooper army approached the lone half-elf.

"Hey! Who are you? Put down that weapon and surrender immediately!" called their commander. When Yuan gave no sign of response, the commander waved his hand and said flippantly, "Kill him."

"I'd like to see you try." Yuan turned, a half-smile on his face. Before they could react, Yuan plunged deep into their formation, twirling the giant blade with cat-like grace. Blood flew into the air as the troopers desperately fired at the demon before them, to no avail.

"Renegades, to me! Kill them all! HAAAAAAAAA!"

Thus did the Leader of the Renegades do battle with his foes!

_/Break/_

Anakin felt exhilarated. The rush of energy from his new body felt so different from the clunking metal responses that he was used to. Shoving open the lobby door, he stepped out into the sunlight. The brightness of it all felt like a spotlight beaming down upon him. With a bright grin, Anakin locked eyes with Luke.

"Well, then. You all need a little help?"

Luke could do nothing but gape. Anakin gave another wide smile and then flipped off the top of the stairs and onto the pavilion below.

"Let's give them a nice father-son punch, Luke." Glancing at Leia's scandalized glare, he quickly amended his words. "Uh…I meant a father-kids punch." Igniting the red lightsaber, the Hero with No Fear charged into battle.

Anakin quickly discovered that there were several things that he was going to have to work out after the skirmish. For one, his body was used to using more energy to move faster. Now, he was over-shooting his dodging and his strikes. However, he could always easily take the back of whoever attacked him and strike that way.

"I see you're enjoying yourself." Anakin whirled around to see a smirking Kratos.

"Yeah, well…"

"Heh. Just don't overdo anything." Kratos disappeared in another flash of blue wings, reappearing next to Genis, who was having some trouble casting while being surrounded by blaster fire.

"Genis," yelled Lloyd, "you okay?"

"Don't worry about me! LOOK OUT!"

"Huh?" A stormtrooper opened fire to his right. "Gah! Guardian!" The green bubble bloomed and easily blocked the energy bolt.

"Nice move, kid!" Han told Lloyd before shooting said stormtrooper squarely in the chest.

Meanwhile, Genis had finished his spell, thanks to Kratos.

"Infinite power, grant me thy strength! METEOR STORM!" Balls of pure mana began falling from the sky.

"How do ya like that, Lloyd?" Giving Genis a thumbs up, Lloyd resumed swinging wildly.

"Sonic Sword Rain!"

"Hmmm…maybe I should try doing that," Anakin thought aloud.

"You can't," Lloyd informed him, "it's a move that you can only use if you have an Exsphere."

"We'll see." Anakin said jauntily.

Deflecting a blast, Anakin rushed forward towards his chosen foe.

"Ha!" Quickly jabbing, Anakin tapped into the Force. His lightsaber exploded forward in a perfect imitation of Lloyd's move. The man quickly dropped lifeless to the ground.

"Hey!"

"Told I could do it. It's all thanks to this new body. I feel ten times lighter!" Anakin gave a small celebration flip over another stormtrooper and sliced him in two from the behind.

"He's being a show-off—don't pay any attention to him," muttered Leia as she passed the enraged dual-swordsman.

"I'll say…"

"Everyone needs my help," said Colette. "Wonder what I can do…?"

A trooper hurled a grenade at her. "Oh! Thanks, mister, but, uh…what do you do with this?" She picked up the beeping object with a confused look on her face.

Lloyd panicked. "COLETTE! GET RID OF THAT NOW!"

"What? Okay, Lloyd!" She smiled and then threw it back to the man who had thrown it at her.

"Sorry, but I don't know what it is!" With her angel-enhanced abilities, the grenade easily whacked the man in the head.

"Oops! I'm so sorry…" Colette babbled.

"DUCK AND COVER!" Sheena screeched as she grabbed Zelos and yanked him to the ground.

"AAH!"

"LOOK OUT!"

**BOOM!**

The grenade exploded, sending sparks flying into the air. It quickly wiped out everyone and everything within a fifty-foot radius of it. Which meant, of course, all stormtroopers and the hotel.

"Oh great," sighed Regal from within the green bubble that Presea had put up over both of them, "that's going to cost a lot."

"The total damages would come up to about three million and five-hundred thousand gald, give or take," replied Presea.

"Thanks for reassuring me…slightly." Regal replied.

"Lloyd, you can stop hugging me now," Colette said.

"Oh-right- sorry Colette," Lloyd said sheepishly. He looked up into the sky.

"Dad, you can come down now!" Kratos took the cue and returned to earth, his wings closing with a flash.

"So what are we going to do now? Knowing the Empire, this probably isn't the only place that's being attacked," Leia asked.

"That's a good question," said Raine. "It seems as if they're targeting the chief cities of the world, most likely to scare the people into submission and demoralize them. I know for a fact that they would attack Meltokio."

"Then let's head there," Lloyd yelled, "we have to do something!"

"Wait- let's not be too hasty about this," Zelos said. "Couldn't this all be some elaborate trap? I mean- you know, they could be luring us to there."

"We won't know until we go," Lloyd responded, "and I can't stand around while people are dying needlessly!"

"Lloyd, I don't like this anymore than you do, but we cannot rush into things without straightening out what we want to do first. What about the Mana Cannon?" Kratos asked, "We still need to figure out what to do about that."

"That's right," cut in Luke, "we still have to deal with the Death Star."

"I have an idea," Lloyd announced. "We're going to split up into two groups. One will head to Meltokio to stop those guys from killing anyone else, and another will head to the Mana Cannon to destroy the Death Star."

"Really? So who's going on what team?" asked Han.

"Well, Sheena would obviously be going, since she's the only one that can summon the Summon Spirits, and I have to go since I'm the one that can use the Eternal Sword..." Lloyd began, "Let's see who else…"

"I'm going with the Mana Cannon team, no matter what," Anakin said coldly. "The Emperor and I have a little thing that we have to work out." Everyone knew what he meant.

"Alright. So the team is Sheena, Vader, and me. Anyone else?"

"Yes- I'm going with Father," Luke said. "I'm not going to let you go up against Palpatine without me."

"And me too," Leia added.

"Hell, count me in. I'm not letting you take all the fun for yourselves," Han said, "Right Chewie?" The Wookie barked his approval.

"So it's all the Alliance people, me, Sheena, and Vader. That's the team." Lloyd ended.

"Correction- it's Anakin now. Vader is a name that I've decided to discard."

"Gotcha. Luke, Han, Leia, me, Sheena, and _Anakin_," Lloyd amended.

"So you're leaving US to clean up?" Genis asked incredulously.

"No, I'm leaving you guys in charge of saving the world. I would've gone with you, but no one else can use the Eternal Sword. Same with the Summon Spirits."

"Yeah, that's right," agreed Sheena. She smiled at Zelos. "Don't give me that puppy-dog look- I'll only be gone for a little while. Sheesh! Don't you have someone else to hit on right now?"

"Well…"

"You can always hit on Raine—JOKING, JOKING!" Sheena quickly yelled when she saw Raine's expression.

"We will return here when our missions are both completed," said Kratos. "There will be no failure. We cannot fail."

"Right—catch you later, Dad! Come one guys! To the Rhearids!" Lloyd raced off at breakneck speed.

Kratos smiled thinly. "Don't die, Lloyd…" He murmured.

"What was that, Kratos?" asked Colette.

"Nothing. Let's go." And so, the two teams split ways, vowing to return only after they had completed their goals.

_/Break/_

"They just keep coming, Commander! We're losing units fast. We need some reinforcements! Otherwise, this'll become a blood bath."

Yuan gritted his teeth. "No one will help us. I've tried to contact Kratos at Derris Kharlan, but he's not picking up. And besides, this already is a blood bath."

"Lord Kratos, refuse us?"

"No! I just don't know where the hell he is! DAMNIT!" Yuan swore as a blaster bolt hit his shoulder leaving a smoking trail. In retaliation, he slashed the offending trooper in two.

"Lord Yuan, sir!"

"I'm fine!" The half-elf snapped. "Retreat to the castle! We'll regroup there for one final charge."

"But sir, there's civilians there! I thought we wanted to avoid casualties in that area…" the Renegade protested.

"DID YOU HEAR ME?" Yuan exploded.

"I did, it's just that- well…"

"Look, if we die, there will be no one left to protect Meltokio. The civilians will die anyway. If we retreat and regroup, we may just stand a chance. It may be a slim chance, but I know that there's one."

"If-if you say so." Clearing his throat, the Renegade shouted over the din of battle.

"RENEGADES! TO THE CASTLE! WE'LL HOLD THEM OFF THERE!" The yell echoed off the walls of the city.

Yuan backed off slowly, casting where necessary, before turning and running swiftly for the Meltokio castle.

_Kratos…where are you when I need you the most?_

_/Break/_

"This is it?" asked Anakin as they stared upwards.

"Yup, hasn't changed a bit." Sheena told him.

"Doesn't look like a cannon," noted Han.

"That's because it's not a regular cannon. Sheesh. Just because it doesn't look like one doesn't mean you have to be all skeptical." Sheena frowned.

"Hurry up! Let's get this over with!" Lloyd's voice called from within the Mana Cannon.

"Coming!" Sheena ran into the entrance.

"Guess we better go," mumbled Han.

"Yeah." The two headed in. Sheena stood at the bottom of the interior of the spiraling tower.

"Alright," she began calmly, "I'm going to summon all the Summon Spirits- that means Origin too, Lloyd- and gather their combined mana into this cannon. When I say so, this giant mass of energy will fire at the Death Star, hopefully making contact and leaving a trail that the Eternal Sword can follow. We also might be able to get a head start on destroying it," She added. "So, everyone ready?"

"Yup," Lloyd told her. "Go for it Sheena. We believe in you!"

"Thanks for the support." Closing her eyes, Sheena began to chant.

"I summon thee…"

_/Break/_

"100 meters and counting to Meltokio," Presea stated.

"We're getting close," Kratos noted. He had chosen to fly, as had Colette, rather than take a Rhearid.

"I can see flames from here- the city must be on fire," Regal said.

"Oh no! We have to get there faster!" Colette cried.

"We should start our descent now," Presea called.

"Mmph. Let's go," Kratos urged.

"WE'RE GOING DOWNNNNNN!" yelled Genis.

Three Rhearids and two angels spiraled downward in unison.

"FOR SYMPHONIA!"

_To Be Continued…_

A/N: Well, here we are at the battle climax of Tales of Star Wars! I'm sorry it's a little short, but it's sort of a prelude to the HUGE battles scenes. Also, I've been sort of lazy about writing, so I'm sorry that the update took too long. I hope you enjoyed this short chapter before we get to the action! And yes, more Yuan action next chapter.

COMING UP:

The end is looming for our heroes' grand adventure! Anakin finally gets to settle his debt to the Emperor, and Kratos gets more guff about Derris Kharlan! PLUS: Lloyd and Sheena go Professor Raine on the Death Star, and Colette and Genis have some more fun with grenades!


	13. Endgame

Sorry about the LONG wait, but I was caught up in something known as real life. Yeah, I know, but high school is…is…so time-consuming!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, nor do I own Star Wars.**

Chapter 13

The air was thick with tension as Sheena chanted summon after summon. One could almost feel the mana vibrating in the air in response to the ninja's call.

"Come! Maxwell!" As a burst of light announced the Summon Spirit of Birth's arrival, Sheena relaxed slightly and leaned over to catch her breath.

"Whew…all that summoning is hard work! I'm drained."

"Yeah, but it was worth it, right?" Lloyd asked brightly.

"Yeah- we're going to do this!" With renewed vigor, Sheena stood back up proudly and addressed the Summon Spirits of the combined worlds as one:

"Spirits of the combined worlds, I know what I'm about to ask you is something you have never done before. I understand that I have never asked anything of you of this magnitude. But the life of this world is at stake, and I know that you guys can do this for me. So here's my wish- let's get this Mana Cannon going and blast that damn ball out of the sky!" With a flourish, she pointed upward towards the sky.

There was no response but quiet approval as the Summon Spirits as one added their mana to the machine. A giant glowing orb of mana began forming, and it wobbled as Sheena attempted to contain it.

"You can do it, Sheena, let's go for it!" Lloyd yelled.

They all stood there as second after second ticked by. Time seemed to stop as the spirits one by one disappeared.

"Is she going to be able to make it?" Leia asked worriedly.

"All we can do is trust that she can," her twin replied.

Finally, the last Summon Spirit disappeared into the firing chamber.

"Alright guys, let's do this! MANA CANNON! FIRE AT THE DEATH STAR!" With a dramatic wave, Sheena released the mana.

"HAAAAAAAH!" The enormous ball of energy blasted its way out of the tower and into the sky. The entire group stopped to stare as their one and only chance soared into space.

"Nothing's going on!" Anakin cried. "It didn't do a thing!"

"Give it a minute…" Sheena said.

And, true to form, a minute later, a giant chunk of the Death Star suddenly disappeared.

"Ah! There we go!" Sheena said brightly. "Told you we could do it!"

"Let's go!" Lloyd yelled excitedly.

"Right." With a couple hurried chants, Sheena summoned Origin.

"Origin- I need you to take us to the Death Star. There should be a nice trail of mana leading right into it. If you could get us into there without a hitch…" Sheena trailed off as she realized just what a "hitch" could mean. After all, it had been a "hitch" that had sent Lloyd, Kratos, and Colette flying into Martel knew where.

"Your wish shall be done, if the Eternal Swordsman agrees to it," Origin replied gravely.

"Oh! Right…" Lloyd pulled out the Vorpal Blade and the Flamberge and once again merged them into the Eternal Sword.

"Origin- take me and my friends to that Death Star thing! We've got a universe to save!"

An orb surrounded the group with blinding white light before it soared upward, following the now sparkling trail.

"You didn't see this before, but now that we're closer up…" Luke trailed off.

"It's like some sort of road," Han finished.

Soon they were flying through Symphonia's atmosphere and into the vast darkness beyond.

"There it is," Anakin growled, his hand tightening on his lightsaber hilt.

The giant globe-like structure loomed before them, although, it wasn't very globe-like now.

"Let's enter through that hole," Lloyd told Origin.

The orb glided through the massive crater and came to rest on a bridge. The mana faded away, leaving its occupants behind. No one seemed to take notice of the large amount of strangers that had just appeared out of thin air- they were too busy attempting to repair the damages from the Mana Cannon.

Sheena smiled proudly as she looked at her handiwork. "Man, if only Grandpa could see this. He'd really be proud of me."

"I'm sure you can tell him all about it once we get back," Lloyd reassured. He looked back to find that Anakin, Luke, Leia, and Han were all walking off. "Hey! Wait up!"

"Do you know where the throne room is, anyway, Father?" Luke inquired.

"Of course I do. I'd never forget it. It's ingrained in my memory. Funny…it never seemed to be that way before."

Striding into an airlift, the group disappeared on their way to the Emperor.

_/Switch/_

Kratos dashed through the gates of Meltokio. "What…where…" He surveyed the chaos with a calm composure, although inside his insides were churning.

"It looks like we were indeed too late," Regal sighed.

"Oh crap- I hope my house is okay! Hell, I hope Princess Hilda's okay," Zelos said. Colette gave him a pat on the back and told him that everyone was sure to be safe.

"Awww…thanks my angel. You're so sweet!"

"There's no time for that," said Raine, "we need to defeat the intruders before we attend to other matters."

"Let's do this," Genis said fiercely as he pulled out his kendama and gave it an experimental swing.

"Head for the castle," Kratos commanded tersely.

The team ran quickly up the courtyard stairs into the royal plaza. Dead stormtroopers littered the floor along with…was that…?

"Renegades," Presea said flatly. "They must have decided to try to save the city themselves."

"Something definitely does not feel right," Kratos said, drawing Excalibur. "We need to find Yuan. Now." He ran for the castle doors.

"Someone's worked up," Zelos noted.

Shoving open the giant doors, Kratos barely had time to duck before a lightning blast nearly hit him.

"Eat that," a familiar voice said flatly.

"Yuan…?" Kratos called cautiously.

"Kratos? Is that really you, or is that just some sort of voice distorter?"

Kratos sighed impatiently. "No, Yuan, of course it's a voice distorter. They really do know what my voice sounds like. Plus, they actually know your name."

"I never knew you had such a wonderful sarcastic tone," remarked a figure who had emerged from the shadows.

"Looking a little worse for the wear, huh?" Genis asked impertinently.

Yuan scowled as he removed his extremely singed cloak and tossed it casually onto an incoming stormtrooper before slicing him in two with the Double Saber. "Shut it over there. You haven't been fighting all day long."

"But it is true," Kratos said smirking. "I have not seen you look so messed up in decades."

"And I haven't seen you use this much humor in centuries," Yuan shot back. "Now, what the hell are you all doing here?" He turned around and cast again, this time striking straight through the head of a trooper. "Hah. Got the damn bastard."

"We're your valiant reinforcements," Zelos announced. "Here to save the day, win the hunnies, all that good stuff."

"I'm looking forward to it," Yuan said scathingly. "Now help me out before we all get killed just standing here." He disappeared into the shadows once more, heading for the throne room. "There are hundreds of these stupid people wandering around looking for me. Keep a sharp eye out."

"What happened to all your other men?" Regal asked quietly.

"Most of them are dead. Or they're sneaking around here somewhere."

"Doesn't sound too reassuring," Raine told him.

"Too bad for you." Yuan's voice called.

Following the blue-haired half-elf, the six crept through the corridors into the throne room, in which what appeared to be the commander in charge was conversing with a blue hologram.

"…captured the city, sir. We await further orders."

"Excellent. Crush all survivors, Captain. There is no need for them. Any who resist, kill slowly."

"Yes sir." The stormtrooper turned off the hologram and turned around, only to find Yuan smiling five inches away from his helmet face.

"Kill slowly, eh? Well, we'll see about that." With a swift move, he beheaded the man and spun around as blaster fire echoed through the chamber.

"Bring it on, fools. You're all too damn weak to be able to even TOUCH me," Yuan taunted.

"Attack him all at once- he won't be able to withstand all that energy," ordered one stormtrooper.

There was a simultaneous click of all weapons within range being leveled at the Renegade leader.

Then a whoosh of air.

"Ray!" Raine raised her staff skyward as the beams of light rained down. Then she looked back.

"Now!"

Kratos, Regal, and Zelos charged the rear, slicing (and in Regal's case, kicking) their way through.

"That's right," Zelos crowed, "you're all too ugly to even stand a CHANCE against me! Victory Light Spear!"

"Don't get too confidant," Kratos warned.

"Oh please, spare me the breath," Zelos retorted.

Genis ran over to a fallen stormtrooper and began scanning his belt. "Where is it…?"

"What are you looking for, Genis?" Colette asked.

"There should be some- ah! Here we go!" Genis triumphantly yanked a small round object from the utility belt. "It's a flash grenade- that thing that you threw. Now, I think we just pull this pin here…" With an experienced hand, Genis deftly removed the pin and then reached back and tossed the small capsule as far as he could.

"EVERYONE! GET DOWN!" He yelled.

The grenade landed with a clank and then rolled to Yuan's feet.

"Oh shit…" Yuan kicked the grenade as hard as possible before dashing behind the throne.

BOOM! The grenade exploded in mid-air, raining shrapnel down on the heads of all present.

"Earthly Protection!" Presea cried as the energy field appeared around her and Regal.

"Genis! What in the world were you thinking?" Raine demanded when the explosion had passed. She was about to say more when blaster fire came pelting her way, causing her to jump to the side.

"I'm just trying to use what we have available," Genis responded, pulling Colette to one side as a hail of blasts went by him. "Colette inspired me a bit."

"Well, you really should be a bit more careful."

"Alright…wait! Colette! Don't touch that-!"

Too late. The ex-Chosen had mimicked her friend and launched several grenades into the air with a cheery wave as they made their descent downwards.

"I'm just trying to help. Why, is there something wrong?"

Yuan peeked out from behind the throne before he noticed the multiple capsules hurtling towards him.

"STOP THROWING THOSE THINGS AT ME, DAMNIT!" He ducked once again.

Another explosion. This time, it blew the throne straight off of the dais and into Kratos, who was about to slice through another stormtrooper when a large chair whacked him upside the head.

"OUCH!"

Yuan had thrown himself towards Princess Hilda's throne and had managed to save himself from the blast. "Kratos- tell that kid to stop doing that! It's harming us more than helping!"

Kratos was unable to answer, as he was currently unconscious on the floor.

Regal brushed the smoke away, coughing. "I think that's all of them. That last blast wiped them all out." They were all standing in a gigantic crater that seemed to have completely vaporized the furnishings.

Presea stopped her axe. "Victory is ours."

Raine sighed with relief as she let her staff drop. "I'm drained. Whew…all that previous mana control has made me beyond tired. My adrenaline rush has simply vanished." She caught sight of Kratos, who was lying in a crumpled heap on the floor, Flamberge still in hand. "Oh my. Will someone take care of that? I can't do anything right now…"

"I'll do it," Yuan said irritably, reaching into one of his pockets and pulling out a Life Bottle. Uncorking it, he gave it an experimental sniff. "Still fresh."

"Why wouldn't it be?" Regal asked, a bit confused.

"Well, this one I've been carrying around for a couple centuries or so. Never saw the need to replace it."

"You are so weird," Genis told him.

"Oh please- spare me," Yuan snapped before flipping Kratos right-side up, forcing his mouth open, and then pouring the bottle's contents expertly down his throat. In a few minutes, a groan emitted from the open mouth.

"Ugh…what happened?"

"You were hit by a chair straight in the head, man," Zelos said informatively.

Kratos sighed. "Wonderful."

Yuan snorted. "Oh- that reminds me, _old friend_, I tried getting a hold of you in Derris Kharlan, but you didn't pick up. All I got was static. Care to explain why?"

Kratos jumped, as did Colette, at the words, "Derris Kharlan."

"Yuan, I really do not wish to answer that-"

"You're answering it. Now." Yuan said dangerously.

"Well, you see-"

"Derris Kharlan was destroyed. This man hit the self-destruct button, and Lloyd and I were barely able to escape with our lives," Colette interrupted seriously. She looked at Kratos. "I thought I'd better say it, because I don't think Kratos would want to tell you himself. I think he's still a bit guilty about it."

Kratos was surprised. _She knew that?_

Yuan appeared deep in thought. "Well, I suppose it's for the better, Kratos. Derris Kharlan was our final link to that war long ago. Now we can stay in the present."

"I suppose…"

"But now YOU get to handle what happens to all those Exspheres I have sitting around back at the base."

"What?" Kratos yelped.

"That's what you get for trying to get out of what you PROMISED you were going to do."

"Who said I ever promised anything of the sort?" Kratos asked, eyebrow raised.

"If I recall, a certain someone told me that he was going to dump all of the Exspheres into outer space. We can't do that now, can we?"

"If you say so…"

"Don't look so disappointed. You knew this was coming."

"Perhaps—but I never expected you to be so happy about it."

"Who said I was happy about it?"

"Your face did."

"Well-"

"Let's get back to Altamira before anything worse happens," Regal cut in before the two men could get any further in their debate.

"Yeah, like Kratos and Yuan having a cat fight," Genis muttered. Colette giggled, and even Raine couldn't help herself. Presea still looked her usual self, although if one looked hard, they could tell that there was a wispy smile indeed on her face.

Kratos looked indifferent. Yuan looked indignant. "You thought we were going to do THAT?" He demanded.

"It was just a joke. Sheesh…you're so tense," Genis quickly retorted.

"Why, you little-"

"To the hunnies!" Zelos shouted before running for the rhearids.

"For once, I have to agree," Regal murmured.

_/Switch/_

"Here it is," Anakin breathed, stopping before the gleaming doors. "It all comes down to this."

"And I'm going to be right there, Father," Luke said.

"No you're not," Anakin replied firmly.

"What?" Luke gasped. "Why not?"

"This is something that I want to take care of. Besides, Luke- the galaxy needs you. You're the hero. You need to live."

Luke opened his mouth to argue, but then closed it. "I guess…"

"You're being dumb," Lloyd said quietly.

Both Skywalker men whirled around in surprise.

"You're acting like someone's life is something that's measured only by standing- you're both WRONG! You both know that you want to fight with the other by your side, so stop trying to protect each other and get on with it!" Lloyd cried.

Han leaned over and whispered in Sheena's ear, "Is this kid always that deep?"

Sheena sighed. "Yeah- although he doesn't act like it most of the time."

Anakin tried arguing, but Lloyd would cut him off with an "I'm telling you!" every time. Finally, the Jedi quit trying.

"Alright Luke, let's go. We're going to do this together, just like YOU"- Anakin shot at Lloyd- "said."

"And we'll be your backup," Han added. "We've got a lot of trouble headed our way, so you guys go be all gallant or whatever and we'll do your dirty work."

"And Leia agrees to this?" Luke asked skeptically.

"Yeah- we figure it's best for all you crazy Jedi to go kill the crazy Sith. SOMEONE has to stay sane, you know."

Anakin laughed. "Don't worry- the crazy Jedi will do exactly as you said they would."

"Just come back alive," Leia said. "Otherwise, I will never forgive either one of you."

"Don't worry about us- we'll be fine," Luke assured her.

The sounds of their feet running off echoed through the hallways as Anakin and Luke turned to face the doors together.

"Ready when you are."

"I'm ready." They pushed against the doors, which slid open with a hiss.

"So- the vermin decide to face their master," a cruel mocking voice noted from the shadows.

"Well, you'll find that we vermin are rather hard to kill," Anakin retorted.

"Yes, I figured so." A hiss of energy. A red blade. A man.

"How is it that you're still alive," Luke asked.

"I would have thought you would have figured it out, my dear boy. Think now…what in the galaxy would have allowed me to return?"

"Cloning," Anakin breathed. "Wait- are you a clone, or the original?"

"You will have to figure that out on you own, apprentice," Palpatine chuckled. "Now, are you going to be smart and return? I have waited for both of you so."

"Never," Luke snarled, "You'll never turn us."

"So sure…perhaps a demonstration is in order?" The Emperor shot out a bolt of lightning quickly, aiming for Anakin.

"Why you-!" Anakin swerved to avoid the blast.

"Darth Vader- I am sorely disappointed. What have they done to you?" The Emperor asked in a tone that could almost be called pity.

"Something that you would never do for me," Anakin said. "I'm not Vader. Nor am I your apprentice. I am, and will remain, Anakin Skywalker."

"Shame- you were so promising," Palpatine lamented.

"You'll find that all good things come to an end, _master_," Anakin hissed before launching forward. His downward strike was blocked by the red blade, and Luke jumped in to attack the Emperor's now unguarded flank, when his lightsaber too was blocked.

"What in the-?" Luke asked in shock as another Palpatine retracted his lightsaber, grinning.

"Which one is real? Which one is but a dream?" The two voiced together.

"Sith- we're going to have to take them on one-on-one," Anakin muttered.

_To Be Continued…_

A/N: Sorry, but I had to cut it short because of chapter length. I really don't want to go into the 4,000 word range (or else we'd be reading this for forever!), so I'm making the Star Wars battle go into the next chapter. I'll try to update sooner next time, but I can't make any promises, as my schoolwork load's only going to get larger.

COMING UP:

Alright, alright, so I'm dragging this thing on and on. The climax of Anakin and Luke vs. the Emperor(s) is finally here, as is the long-awaited internal destruction of the Death Star! Will our heroes make it out in time? Our survey says…perhaps.


	14. The End

This is the last chapter of _Tales of Star Wars. _It was a great 8-month ride, and I enjoyed it immensely. My only goal for it was for it to be something that people could read for the fun of it, but it seems to have turned into an epic. Almost 40,000 words- wow!

I'd like to take this time to thank all of my reviewers who have so faithfully (or have tried to) follow this story that really should never have existed were it not for a complete brain splurge in the shower. Thank you again for your comments, your praise, and your criticism- all were appreciated.

And now…the final chapter of _Tales of Star Wars_.

**Disclaimer: I own neither of the two franchises represented in this game.**

Chapter 14

"_Sith, we're going to have to take them one-on-one…"_

A silence descended on the field of battle as both sides scrutinized each other for any possible move. Luke looked at his father expectantly, waiting for the signal to attack.

_Not yet, Luke._ Anakin said mentally.

_Okay. Just tell me when._

In the end it was the Emperors that made the first move. With a bloodcurdling cry, the twin Palpatines charged at the Skywalkers. The clash of energy on energy sent sparks flying into the air as the two sides battled on, neither giving an inch.

Luke blocked left. Then right. Then left again. Either way, he was stuck on the defensive. Casting around for something that could shift the tide, he found it and Force-threw the throne at his enemy. The Emperor smiled before slicing straight through the metal seat, sending the two pieces back at the young Jedi. Luke ducked and then hastily blocked another strike from above. As the Emperor bore down on him, Luke looked into the maddened eyes of his foe.

"No you don't," he growled. "Nothing you offer could make me go to the Dark Side." With a burst of energy, he shoved upward, sending the Emperor flying back. He then swung his saber back in front of him, ready to block whatever came next. Looking over at his father, Luke could see that the duel was flying along at a much faster pace, as red clashed on red.

"Ah!" He nearly evaded the Emperor's red lightsaber as it dove at him, slicing through the edge of his shirt.

"Hehehehe…keep your eyes on the battle at hand, young Skywalker. That is my first lesson to you."

Luke said nothing, knowing the Palpatine he was facing only wanted to goad him further to anger. _Just watch. I'll turn the tables on you without a blink._

Anakin danced backwards as the Emperor launched a flurry of thrusts and slashes. Curving his saber to meet Palpatine's blade in a high block, he kicked out with one foot, catching Palpatine in the stomach. As the Sith reeled, Anakin dove in for the finishing blow only to find lightning being shot at him. Twisting, he fell to the side, rolling to his feet.

"You still fail to utilize the Dark Side fully, young apprentice," The Emperor admonished.

"That's because I don't use it. When will you get that point driven into your wrinkled head?" Anakin shot back. He ran through his mind for anything that could surprise the Emperor. As the two had battled often as master and apprentice, there was no doubt that Anakin's moves were being read like a book.

_Think, think…what to do?_

"Lost, Vader?" Anakin snapped out of his trance just in time to block.

"No, just waiting for the right time!" Anakin shoved the Emperor, sending the man backwards.

"I learned this from a friend," he breathed. Dashing forward, he swung his lightsaber in a wide, curving arc. Energy leapt off of the crackling blade in a wave, racing along the ground.

"What is this?" The Emperor cried as the wave struck him, sending vibrations everywhere.

"It's called Demon Fang. Pretty appropriate, if you ask me," Anakin replied. "Like it?"

"How DARE you," Palpatine hissed before hurling himself at Anakin.

"I learned this from the same person as well," Anakin said in response. With a barrage of thrusts, he pierced straight through the hilt of the Emperor's lightsaber, shutting down the red blade. The next slices sent the Emperor's smoking body to the ground.

"Sonic Sword Rain is only supposed to be able to be used by certain people. Thanks to my friends, I can now pull off things that Vader would never dream of," Anakin informed the body in front of him. Of course, it was too late for Palpatine to hear him. Turning, Anakin let out a slow breath—and then stopped cold.

_Luke!_

The young Jedi was on one knee, lightsaber threatening to buckle as he attempted to throw off a ferocious downward strike from the Emperor or whatever else he was. Luke's emerald blade was slowly inching closer and closer to his neck as the Palpatine's red one bore down upon it.

Anakin was about to run in and help out his son when Luke sent him a frantic mental message.

_No! I can do this on my own. _

And with that, Luke shoved upwards with as much force as possible, using the Force to back him up. The Palpatine went flying, as Luke regained his composure.

"Ehehehe…close that time, but you will not be so lucky the next," it cackled.

"Don't underestimate me," Luke warned. He ran forward, and the battle continued. Suddenly, his com beeped. Eyes widening in surprise, Luke stumbled for just one vital second. But that was all the Emperor needed. Blowing aside Luke's lightsaber, he dealt a mighty blow to the Jedi's prosthetic right arm, sending it skittering to the ground in a burnt heap.

"Next will be your head!" The Palpatine cried as Luke reeled. Without his right arm, Luke did the last move he could make- he threw his com link at Palpatine. The old man easily caught it, but found the power switch on. From the machine's tiny speaker, a tinny voice could be heard. The entire room fell silent as the voice began to speak.

"…_Death Star sighted, Skywalker. Get out of the area as soon as possible, Commander."_

"Uh oh…" Anakin whispered.

A gigantic explosion rocked the entire space station. As the combaters ducked for cover, a giant piece of the throne room suddenly was blown off, leaving a gash leading to the endless vacuum of space.

"It's pulling us in," Luke cried!

"YES!" The Palpatine shouted, "THIS IS THE END, SKYWALKERS!" Laughing maniacally, the old man pushed a button on his lightsaber. Immediately, the Palpatine Anakin had battled stood up, apparently revitalized. "Which one is the clone, now, my boys? It's time for the final battle!"

"We've got no choice," Anakin shouted over the whoosh of oxygen rapidly leaving the room, "We've…got…to…beat them before…the room...oxygen…" The air was growing thin. "Time's…running out!"

As the two Emperors charged, the Skywalkers prepared for their final confrontation.

"EEEAAAAGGGGHHHH!" Energy crackled as once again, the two clashed.

"The throne!" Luke yelled. Catching his drift, Anakin threw himself to the side as the gigantic throne chair went hurtling towards the endless chasm.

The Emperors stopped, smiled, and then laughed once more as one before the chair smashed into them, sending them flying out into space.

"Let's…get…out of here!" Anakin yelled. "The whole place is-!" Another piece of the ceiling crashed down.

"It's pulling…us towards it! We'll…never…make it!" Luke screamed.

Then, a bubble burst out around each of the two men. As they bobbed along, stationary, the two men whirled around inside to find:

"Lloyd!" Anakin shouted. The swordsman waved from his own bubble, before pointing to Origin and Maxwell.

"Let's get out of here," Lloyd cried. With a flourish of the Eternal Sword, Lloyd directed the massive mana bubbles out of the now deteriorating Death Star. Outside, a battalion of X-wings greeted them, along with an enormous cruiser.

"The Alliance," Luke gasped. "I- how did they find out?"

"We commed 'em," Han announced. "No one knew how to figure out the self-destruct code, so we decided to go with Plan B."

"Well, lucky you actually had a Plan B," Anakin replied.

"Hey- what happened to your arm?" Sheena asked Luke.

"Uh- long story," Luke said, cradling the stump of his bionic arm.

"You know, we're still going to have to explain to Mothma exactly what's happened to Darth Vader," Leia warned.

"I'll take care of it," Luke assured her. "Lloyd- just drop Leia and me off with the Alliance. We'll meet you back down on your world. The two of us need to talk a few things over first before we get anywhere close to celebrating."

Lloyd nodded. "I'll see you then."

"Just make sure that you don't start the party without us," Luke said.

"We won't." With another wave of the Eternal Sword, Lloyd diverted the twins' bubbles off towards the awaiting Rebel cruiser.

"Now, let's get back to Symphonia."

"And about time," Sheena added, "All that machinery made me dizzy."

"The Professor would have gone nuts."

"Yeah- good thing we didn't take her along, huh?"

"Uh- guys…"-Han waved- "there's people here besides you, you know."

"Yeah, well, there's not that much we can talk to you about, right?"

"Say that again, please," Anakin said menacingly.

"Uh…never mind," Lloyd quickly muttered. Sheena snickered. Hoping to veer the conversation elsewhere, Lloyd peered out of the bubble.

"Hey! Look! We're almost there!" As the bubbles began their freefall through the atmosphere, Sheena hurriedly chanted the Sylph, almost hysteric when she asked them to "SLOW THE DAMN THINGS DOWN!"

They finally touched ground, at which time the mana bubbles dissipated into the air. "We're back," Lloyd said with a sigh. "YES!" He danced around with joy.

"We did it, Sheena!" He yelled excitedly, pointing furiously towards the empty sky. "We did it! YEAH!"

Sheena laughed as Lloyd resumed his victory dance. "You are SUCH a kid."

"All you need is drinks, and this would be a real party," Han said.

"What kind of drinks," Lloyd asked, pausing from his frenzied jumping.

"Oh come on; please tell me you do know what I'm talking about." Han gave Lloyd an exasperated look.

Anakin rolled his eyes and muttered, "Space junk…never can trust them…" Han scowled and opened his mouth to snap back when Lloyd cut them both off.

"Hey! Look! Over there!" He pointed towards the smoldering buildings of Meltokio. "We- we landed right next to it!"

"Talk about dumb luck," Sheena said in disbelief. "Lloyd- you really- wait!"-Sheena sighed before dashing off after the dual swordsman- "Stop being in such a rush!"

Chewbacca howled something at Han. "Yeah, yeah- we'll stay put and wait. Don't want to mess up their teary reunion," Han muttered.

"So we're staying put?" Anakin asked.

"Yeah, until the kid and his sister get back," Han said resignedly.

The two stared off towards the city.

"By the way, what was that crap you were giving me about me being space junk?"

"Why? Do you take offense at it?"

"What do you think, moron! Of course I do! I'm not space junk, no matter how battered the Falcon is!"

"Keep saying that to yourself and maybe it will come true, Solo."

"Shut it, Vader."

* * *

"Everyone!" Lloyd came skittering through the gates, barely avoided the collapsing rubble around him. "Where are you guys?" He called. 

"Is that Lloyd Irving I hear?" drawled an unseen voice.

"Who are you? Show yourself! What have you done to my friends?" Lloyd demanded.

"Oh please- spare yourself the effort. It's Yuan." The half-elf descended the stairs that led to the castle with a bored expression.

"Yuan! What are you doing here, huh?" Lloyd unsheathed both his swords, holding them at the ready. Sheena pulled out her cards.

"Relax, you idiot. I'm on your side," Yuan snapped. "I'm just cleaning up your father's horrific mess…like I always do," he added under his breath.

"Kratos's what? Where is he?" Lloyd re-sheathed the Material Blades.

"Oh, never mind," Yuan said exasperatedly. "If you're looking for Kratos, he's gone. They all left for Altamira as soon as the coast was clear."

"Altamira?" Sheena asked. "Why? We still have to deal with the citizens."

"According to Kratos, it's my job to handle Meltokio if he's going to deal with all the Exspheres. An eye for an eye, one could say."

"Altamira, huh?" Lloyd asked to no one in particular. "Right! Let's go!"

"What? Hey! Lloyd- stop!" Too late; Lloyd had grabbed Sheena by the wrist and was now dragging her off. Yuan sighed and shook his head as he watched the two leave.

"Back to work, I guess…" The Renegade leader said. Turning around, he walked back into the castle ruins.

* * *

By the time Lloyd and Sheena rejoined Han, Chewbacca, and Anakin, the twins had already arrived back, their X-wing transport waiting anxiously behind them. Both noticed that Luke now had another arm attached. 

"You guys are back?" Han asked.

"Yeah- we are." Lloyd waved to Luke and Leia. "Got all your talking stuff wrapped up?"

"Yes," said Leia. "We managed to get some things straightened out." She shot a glance at Anakin when she said "things".

"So are you going to go, or do you want to stay for the celebration?"

"We'd love to stay, but I think we have to go," Luke said. "The Alliance is waiting for us, and there's so much we have to do to rebuild everything from the Empire's ruins."

"You can at least say goodbye," Sheena said. "Why not just tag along with us to Altamira, and then Lloyd can use the Eternal Sword to send you all back up?"

"Sounds good to me," Anakin said.

"Alright. Wait a minute then," Luke told Lloyd as he walked over to the X-wing and explained to the pilot that he would get back in a different way, and that they could leave. The pilot nodded before taking to the skies.

"Right!" After a couple of hurried summons, the group was once again engulfed in the familiar bubbles. Directing them with his sword, Lloyd managed to get the bubbles to drop down gently onto the sands of Altamira.

"And here we are! Everyone's probably at Regal's waiting for us." Lloyd dashed for the ferry.

The goodbye was looming.

* * *

"Sir- I've estimated the damages to the hotel, and it's much more than Miss Presea estimated." 

"Really?" Regal frowned as he took the report. "Oh…wow."

"I apologize for being off," Presea said. "Perhaps I said million? I meant trillion…"

"Ah- I see," Regal said.

Just then, Lloyd and company burst through the office doors. "Hey, guys! We did it!"

"We sure did," Colette agreed.

"It looks like you all lived," Genis noted with amusement.

"Yeah- we definitely were." Sheena said. "Thanks to these guys here…" She waved a hand at Luke and Anakin.

"So what happened with you guys?" Han asked.

"Oh- it was hilarious," Zelos said seriously. "Kratos and Yuan were cat-fighting. Funniest thing I've ever seen; I swear." He stopped when he realized how very close Kratos's hand was to the Flamberge's hilt. "Uh…"

"You were WHAT?" Lloyd asked.

"Never mind," Kratos snapped.

Everyone gave him a look that clearly read, "Yeah right…"

"So is this goodbye?" Raine asked informatively.

"Yeah…it is…" Luke said. "Thanks for everything, you guys."

"Yes- thank you for getting me out of that suit," Anakin told Raine.

"It was nothing. Besides, now I can study it without you yelling at me!" Raine replied brightly. A collective groan rose up from everyone present.

"Well, this is it. Lloyd will transport us back up to the Alliance's waiting ships, so goodbye. And thank you again for your help. The Rebel Alliance will never forget what you did to aid us," Leia said. "We will make sure that your world is recognized officially."

"And thanks for your help with that sarlacc and stuff," Luke said to Kratos. "Would've never been able to pull that off without you." Kratos assured him that it had been nothing.

"What sarlacc?" Anakin asked.

"Oh- I'll…tell you later," Luke promised.

This time it was a collective snicker from all who had been in that particular Tatooine escapade along with much handshaking. Finally, the two groups separated themselves and Lloyd formed the Eternal Sword. Facing the people that he would never have met where it not for one huge mistake, he spoke aloud.

"Eternal Sword- we've saved the world once more. Now it's time for us to finally go our different paths. Carry my friends up to the people waiting for them- the Alliance."

A flash of light. A faint buzz. And then- nothing. Nothing stood in the place of where their new friends had once been.

"It's over," Lloyd said, flopping back into a chair. Everyone stared at the empty space before suddenly breaking into action, seemingly as if nothing had happened. Raine excused herself to go study Anakin's old armor. Regal went back to reading through all of his reports with Presea assisting him. If one had cared, one would note that her ax was now back on its rack. Genis had gone to go "make sure Raine didn't do anything too crazy", and Zelos dragged Sheena off to the beach, although this time the shinobi seemed much more compliant.

That left Colette, Lloyd and Kratos sitting in the room alone. Silence reigned until finally Lloyd spoke up:

"And to think that if you had never come down for a visit, this all would never have happened."

"Yes…it truly was coincidental."

"And now you're here, instead of there."

"Yes."

"So are you going to come with us, Kratos?" Colette asked kindly.

"Perhaps. I do owe Yuan."

Another silence.

"Hey- you know, I was wondering why the Eternal Sword sent you off to Tattoo or whatever, Dad, and I came up with this idea that maybe…maybe it was something that the Eternal Sword wanted to happen."

"Explain."

"Well…maybe it didn't want you to stay stuck up there. Maybe it wanted you to, you know, come back from…"

Kratos finished the sentence for him.

"Derris Kharlan."

This time, no one flinched.

_Fin._

Final A/N: Well, here we are at the end of the story. This is the second one that I've finished, and I must say that it's quite a feeling. I tried to pack in as much as possible into the last chapter, and even managed to wrap up all of the running gags of the story by the end. I also tried to make it sort of a "circle", with everything coming back to the three who originally started the story. Truth be told, I had never planned for the ToS world to figure in at all- it was supposed to be completely Star Wars universe. However, I like where it has gone. I hope you have enjoyed it too.

-Lady Nephenee Ranulf


End file.
